Campbell’s timely reminder for recall

IF Fraizer Campbell leaves Sunderland in the new year then it is hoped he signs off in style.

For a manager who has shown a reluctance to start the striker this season, Martin O’Neill needs him now more than ever.

Campbell’s first goal since February 1 was mere consolation at Old Trafford after Robin van Persie, Tom Cleverley and Wayne Rooney had all scored to put a magnificent Manchester United in command.

But the sight of the one-cap England international turning away to celebrate a goal again for the Black Cats should hearten O’Neill.

It is not just Campbell, who has not started a game since the opening day draw at Arsenal, who has struggled to force his way in to the first XI. O’Neill, overall, has tended to give the same players the time to show they can help turn things around.

With Steven Fletcher suffering further injury woe on Saturday, then the door should open slightly more for Campbell than it has in recent months.

Fletcher faces a further spell of treatment this week; this time on a back problem he suffered at Old Trafford. And in Campbell and Connor Wickham, the two strikers who impressed in the second half against Manchester United, O’Neill should consider trying something different.

With Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool lined up after Saturday’s trip to Southampton, it could well be an unlikely source delivering a Christmas bonus for Sunderland in their attempts to climb clear of trouble.

If that unlikely source turns out to be Campbell he could yet have a future at the Stadium of Light at a time when the man who paid £6m for him, Steve Bruce, wants to be reunited with him at Hull City.

O’Neill said: “Fraizer’s got a chance to get on and he did really fine when he did. We will need Fraizer around here between now and new year for a start and really I would say we want to try to strengthen the squad if at all possible, rather than let players go.”

When Campbell was introduced with 22 minutes remaining for Adam Johnson – who struggled on his return to Manchester – United had already wrapped up the points.

A combination of the Red Devils relaxing and Sunderland improving as an attacking threat actually left the vociferous travelling support feeling like their team had actually played reasonably well.

In truth, while a number of good chances were created and saved by David de Gea, it took until Campbell’s introduction alongside Wickham in attack for Sunderland to really improve.

The long trek to Southampton will not have the same problems to quell – namely van Persie and Rooney – but it will be a question of whether Sunderland can carry that attacking verve over to St Mary’s and tighten up defensively along the way.

Knowing what fixtures are on the horizon, O’Neill insists he will not be spending the next five days working out where the next points are going to come from.

“I may well have done that in an earlier time and either surprised myself by getting more points or disappointed myself,” said O’Neill.

“I don’t think you can do that.

There’s a tough run of fixtures coming up but eventually when the season ends we’ll have played every single team twice at some stage or another and our competitors will have done the same thing.”

Southampton, a point and a place below fifth from bottom Sunderland, will need to be full of confidence and intent in a match that has a lot riding on it. Regardless of the threats posed, though, there will be a relief on Wearside that they will not be facing the dynamic van Persie and Rooney again.

The two of those – exceptionally assisted during the first hour by Cleverley and Ashley Young – ran Sunderland ragged and Simon Mignolet could have conceded five inside 23 minutes.

Instead, mainly because Rooney missed a close range volley and header, Sunderland were trailing by just the two at half-time.

Both of those arrived inside three minutes, with van Persie side-footing the opener in the 16th minute. The Dutchman was on hand to chest down and apply the finish once John O’Shea, Jack Colback and Carlos Cuellar had failed to deal with Cleverley’s run and cross.

Cleverley turned goalscorer soon after. He bent the second inside Mignolet’s far post after a neat one-two with Michael Carrick which split the Sunderland defence wide open.

Rooney had already hit the bar and van Persie had chipped wide with just the goalkeeper to beat before the two combined to add a third goal just before the hour.

This time van Persie picked up the ball and laid the ball off to Young, who played a return pass. Then the former Arsenal striker took a touch before his next embarrassed both Cuellar and Titus Bramble to reach the byline.

From there, van Persie picked out Rooney charging in to the six yard box and he applied the finish. Campbell’s header from under the crossbar when Sessegnon centred in to a crowded area with 18 minutes from time merely improved the scoreline.

And after being tormented by van Persie all afternoon, O’Neill reckons Sir Alex Ferguson could have signed the world-class talent which ensures the red half of Manchester reclaim the Premier League title come May.

“Manchester United paid approaching £30m (£24m) for someone with only a year left on his contract. That might tell you how valuable they perceive him to be,” said O’Neill.

“It’s not just how valuable the perception is, he’s been absolutely fantastic. He can get goals out of very, very little.

“You always felt that Manchester United having him would have given them a big edge. I’m not saying (Carlos) Tevez and (Sergio) Aguero are not great players for City, they are, but this extra boost that Manchester United got in preseason would have been psychologically massive for them.”

And how O’Neill could do with a striker like 15-goal van Persie himself.