Cats want double act from strikers; They looked as though they were tailor-made for each other but is the relationship between Dijbril Cisse and Kenwyne Jones heading for the rocks? Chief Sports Writer.

Byline: Luke Edwards reports

TRYING to build a new strikeforce is a bit like internet dating. Everything can point to the perfect match on a computer screen, only for the first date to prove your dreamboat has horrendous bad breath, an irritating laugh and some dubious political views which align them firmly with Adolf Hitler's Nazi party.

Just look at Djibril Cisse and Kenwyne Jones, a partnership which looked as though it was made in heaven, but one which is playing like they wished the other would go to Hell.

Cisse and Jones appeared to have everything going for them as a pair.

Cisse is quick and direct on the ground, with a tendency to play on the shoulder of the last defender. Jones is strong and powerful in the air, an ideal target man who relishes the physical battles that come with trying to hold the ball up and bring others into play.

When Jones missed the start of the season with a knee injury, even former Black Cats boss Roy Keane struggled to contain his excitement at the prospect of pairing the two together in attack.

Yet the partnership, having initially struggled to click, is now in danger of collapsing completely as arguably Sunderland's two best-known players continue to play like strangers.

It is a problem which came to a head against Wigan last weekend as Sunderland's front two produced their most ineffective display of the season and the Wearsiders crashed to a home defeat which has shoved them right back into the relegation mix-up.

"We keep working at it in training and practice games and try get them to combine together," said manager Ricky Sbragia, who has also had to cope with an increasingly irritable Cisse, who still does not know if his loan move from Marseille will be made permanent at the end of the season.

"I remember at Bolton, Nicolas Anelka and Kevin Davies were signed to play together, but they found it difficult to work with each other because they were used to playing on their own up front.

"Eventually, Kevin Davies went to outside right and Anelka went on his own, but you couldn't do that with Kenwyne. We have to work on it and hope they gel on Sunday against Manchester City. It had not been working too badly, but the goals have dried up and suddenly everyone is focusing on it again. But that happens and we have to rectify it."

There have been persistent rumours all season that Cisse and Jones simply do not get on.

However, even if that were true - and neither player has ever publicly criticised the other, with Jones even urging the club to sign Cisse permanently earlier this month to prove their ambition in the summer - it does not automatically mean they will not play well together on the pitch.

At Manchester United, Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole did not speak for an entire season, a season in which the Red Devils won the title, the FA Cup and the European Cup.

At Newcastle, Craig Bellamy and Alan Shearer had little time for each other socially, but they were an excellent double act which terrorised top-flight defences, Bellamy's pace perfectly complementing the strength and experience of the Newcastle skipper.

There were times when the two felt like knocking each other's heads off in training or on a night out, but they always hugged when the other scored, which was all that really mattered.

Football is littered with such fractious double acts. Indeed, there are some who would argue that the personality clash added an extra element of competition to the rivalry and, in turn, helped bring out the best in both of them. And, while the lack of goals from his two firstchoice front men is a concern - neither has found the net since Jones headed the first in a 2-0 win over Stoke City on Februrary 7 - Sbragia has not given up hope of making their partnership work between now and the end of the season.

Over the course of the entire campaign, Cisse and Jones have scored 19 goals between them, a decent return when you consider Jones did not play a Premier League game until the end of October.

"I still think it works and will work," said Sbragia who, nevertheless, is likely to revert to a 4-5-1 formation at Manchester City tomorrow with Jones as a lone striker and Cisse on the bench.

"Djibril has had three games back from a serious injury, which we thought might have been as serious as Craig Gordon, and Kenwyne has done fantastic to come back from his injury this season. Sometimes strikers have a rush and everything goes well and then they hit a wall as a pair and that is what happened on Saturday.

"We worked them together and from the 14 games I've been in charge, that was first time I thought we were awful.

"One bad game in 14 would not be a bad record if they were to do that for the next 14, but in general I have been pleased with them.

"Cisse had a couple of chances against Tottenham and he had one against Wigan. Kenwyne had a good one at Liverpool. The difference is they are not putting them away, but that happens with strikers."

MATCHBOX

MANCHESTER CITY V SUNDERLAND

Team News: Stephen Ireland (ankle) and Wayne Bridge (hamstring) both suffered injuries during City's Uefa Cup second leg at Aalborg and could be doubtful. Vincent Kompany (toe) will also be assessed but former Newcastle United striker Craig Bellamy could be in conte ntion.

Likely line-up (4-4-1-1)

37 Shay GIVEN

2 Micah RICHARDS

4 Nedum ONUOHA

22 Richard DUNNE

25 Wayne BRIDGE

8 Shaun WRIGHT-PHILLIPS

7 Stephen IRELAND

5 Pablo ZABALETA

11 ELANO

10 ROBINHO

20 Felipe CAICEDO

Substitute s

1 Joe HART

9 Valeri BOJINOV

15 Javier GARRIDO

19 Gelson FERNANDES

24 Ched EVANS

33 Vincent KOMPA NY

36 Glauber BERTI

Team News: Anton Ferdinand has trained all week and should return to the starting line-up at Eastlands, but Nyron Nosworthy is still short of match fitness and will only be on the bench.

Concious of City's excellent form at home, the Black Cats are likely to adopt a 4-5-1 formation with Djibril Cisse dropping down to substitute.

Likely line-up (4-5-1)

32 Marton FULOP

2 Phil BARDSLEY

26 Anton FERDINAND

15 Danny COLLINS

3 George MCARTNEY

7 Carlos EDWARDS

8 Steed MALBRANQUE

6 Dean WHITEHEAD

18 Grant LEADBITTER

20 Andy REID

17 Kenwyne JONES

Substitute s:

1 Craig GORDON

5 Nyron NOSWORTHY

9 Djibril CISSE

12 Tal BEN HAIM

14 Daryl MURPHY

21 Calum DAVENPORT

23 David HEALY

Last time:

Sunderland 0 Manchester City 3 Premier League, August 2008 Last five League games: Manchester City L D L W L; Sunderland W D L D L Match odds: H 8-13 A 5-1 D 13-5 Top scorers: Manchester City - Robinho 11 Sunderland - Djibril Cisse 10

Refere e: Steve Tanner (Somerset)

Head to Head (the League record): Man City wins: 53 Draws: 19

Sunderland wins: 43

Kick-off: Tomorrow, 3pm

TV: Highlights, Match of the Day 2, BBC2, 10pm