How rivals rate Cats’ chances
A CLUB-BY-CLUB LOOK AT THE SEASON AHEAD FOR SUNDERLAND’S RIVALS
We asked reporters covering all of Sunderland’s League One rivals five questions to gauge their thoughts on the season ahead.
Here are the questions ... and their answers.
Billy Kee - picked up the Golden Boot last season to help fire Stanley to the League Two title with 25 goals. Looking forward to proving himself at a higher level after only a handful of appearances for Scunthorpe in 2014/15.
Promoted: Sunderland, Blackpool, Scunthorpe. Relegated: AFC Wimbledon, Walsall, Southend, Wycombe. put together a strong squad capable of matching last season’s surprise 12th-placed finish, which most fans would be satisfied with.
Paudie O’Connor. The centre back arrives with good reviews from fans of his parent club, Leeds United.
Promoted: Sunderland, Barnsley, Portsmouth. Relegated: Wycombe, AFC Wimbledon, Rochdale, Shrewsbury. Dons has really impressed in pre-season in midfield. A setpiece threat.
Promoted: Sunderland, Bristol Rovers, Barnsley. Relegated: Wycombe Wanderers, Accrington Stanley, Coventry City, Rochdale. Lyle Taylor, Darren Pratley. Ezri Konsa, Ahmed Kashi, Harry Lennon, Brandon Hanlan, Johnnie Jackson (retired).
Charlton’s first-choice 11 are a match for anybody, the question is whether injuries and a lack of squad depth will badly damage their prospects.
Lyle Taylor. A star man for AFC Wimbledon and needs the same kind of scoring return for the south London club, who have lacked a prolific finisher in the past couple of season.
Promoted: Barnsley, Southend, Peterborough. Relegated: Blackpool, Walsall, Coventry, Wycombe.
Tony Andreu. The French playmaker joined the Sky Blues from Norwich City last summer but played just six games before a ruptured ACL put him out for ten months. He scored 22 goals, 19 on loan for Dundee United in the Scottish Championship, the season before joining Coventry.
Promoted: Sunderland, Portsmouth, Charlton. Relegated: Rochdale, AFC Wimbledon, Walsall, Gillingham.
Ali Crawford, Mallik Wilks (loan), Tom Anderson, Max Watters.
Mathieu Baudry, Andy Williams, Craig Alcock, Liam Mandeville (loan).
After consolidating last season, the expectation will be for a strong push for the top six. The change in manager following Darren Ferguson’s resignation has brought an element of the unknown heading into the campaign but new boss Grant McCann is expecting a strong challenge.
Mallik Wilks, signed on loan from Leeds, is a young, pacy forward.
Promoted: Sunderland, Peterborough, Oxford. Relegated: