With 15 matches played in League One, Sunderland find themselves in with a real chance of an immediate return to Championship football. 

The Black Cats suffered a second consecutive relegation last season as they dropped from the Premier League to League One within two seasons.

But with new owners arriving at the Stadium of Light in the summer, there has been a sense of a revival around the north-east club.

Jack Ross has come in and his summer transfer business has proven very fruitful and they currently sit third in the League One table, just one point behind second-place Peterborough United.

This weekend they host Southend United as they look to climb into the much sought after automatic promotion places and will be confident of winning a fourth match on the bounce.

There has been plenty of praise thrown in the direction of Ross for the work he has done this season, so here are three words that best sum up the Scotsman's time.

After years of turgid football, Ross's time has undoubtedly been refreshing.

The signings he made in the summer have played a big part in this with Chris Maguire, in particular, showing his class in attack.

Despite making a large number of signings in the summer, a big staple of Ross's time with the Black Cats has been his promotion of youth players already in the club.

Josh Maja and Lynden Gooch have been two of the club's stand out players this season and both came through the club's youth system.

Denver Hume is slowly starting to make a name for himself at left-back as well.

There is a real sense that in Jack Ross they have a manager they can really build with now.

He has come in and managed to completely endear himself to the Stadium of Light crowd and really galvanised the entire club.