The mood around Sunderland has completely transformed this season thanks to the arrival of Stewart Donald and Jack Ross.

Donald bought the club in the summer and hired Ross and the pair set about clearing out members of the squad who had not been pulling their weight over previous seasons.

The fans and the club have not been as close as they are now for a very long time and that feeling has fed onto the pitch as well.

Sunderland currently sit second in the League One table and look well set for an immediate return to the second-tier.

There is always room for improvement, however, and with the January transfer window approaching fast the club will be drawing up a list of priorities in terms of ins and outs.

Here, though, are three mistakes that they cannot afford to make...

Maja has been a revelation this season, bagging ten league goals in just 16 matches and the 19-year-old looks like a star for years to come.

The club should be doing all they can to ensure those years are spent in the North East but with his contract running out in the summer he will be in demand in January.

Sunderland simply must hang on to him until the summer at the very least.

There has been plenty of talk of a cull of the Black Cats' high-earners in January but McGeady must be retained.

He is simply a class above all others in the third-tier and it would be mental for Sunderland to surrender him so willingly.

On the flip side, Oviedo is somebody they must get rid of.

Yes, he is more than adequate at this level but his wages will be ludicrously high for a backup left-back in League One.

He should be sold and his wages put to better use.