TONY Mowbray believes the goals will come for Mason Burstow and isn't at all concerned about the striker's wait to break his Sunderland duck - instead judging the Chelsea loanee on his all-round play for the Black Cats.

Since swapping Stamford Bridge for the Stadium of Light late in the summer, Burstow has quickly established himself as Mowbray's first choice striker, starting the last five Championship games and set to lead the line against Middlesbrough on Saturday.

But the 20-year-old is yet to hit the net in red and white - not that Mowbray is worried.

"He's done fine. I'm judging him on the work ethic and running capacity. Football is played in and out of possession and this kid can run and close down and press and hurry the defence up," said Sunderland's head coach.

"He needs a break in front of goal, he needs to score, strikers get judged on the goals they score at the end of the day.

"But he is a young boy who's relatively inexperienced. He needs something to fall for him. He needs Clarke to beat his man, get to the byline and cut it back and he's there for a side foot from two yards and then he'll be off and running because he's working really hard in training."

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Burstow is still getting to grips with the way Sunderland play and what Mowbray wants from his strikers, as are fellow forwards Hemir, Eliezer Mayenda and Nazariy Rusyn.

Mowbray said: "He's a very conscientious boy, he watches all his clips back and we talk him through things: could he have done this movement or got into that position. It's a learning process for him and that's fine.

"It's the same for Semedo and Mayenda when he's up and running. It's the same for Rusyn, they have to learn how we play, when to go, the work ethic of the team.

"It takes time. They don't understand sometimes, especially if the language is an issue and it's difficult to explain to them that they're not doing this right or that right and they have to get over there and cut this line off or press down that line.

"They're difficult conversations with young footballers and if I don't feel they can do it and they don't understand, they don't play."