Since the sacking of Dick Advocaat, Sam Allardyce has brought some confidence into the club and Sunderland’s fortunes are slowly changing since his arrival at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats looked doomed at the start of the season after only picking up three points in their first nine games.
Their Tyne-Wear derby thrashing of Newcastle United has certainly sparked some confidence up north though, and they look more organised and willing to fight for points.
They are certainly not out of trouble though, as they sit in 17th place in the Premier League and, with the January transfer window almost upon us, it is a pivotal time for struggling sides to inject some fresh new players raring to save their season.
Due to their current Premier League position, there are obviously some players who are not performing for the club.
‘Big Sam’ will want to shift these players out of the Sunderland dressing room due to the limited amount of spaces in their 25-man squad.
Football League World writer Ashley Williams identifies five Sunderland players who should be offloaded to the Sky Bet Championship…
[ffc-gallery]
PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE 5 PLAYERS!
[/ffc-gallery]
Danny Graham
Danny Graham is one of these players that has never made the cut in the Premier League.
He has featured mainly for the Under 21's this season, scoring three goals.
Allardyce will need someone to support either Jermaine Defoe or Fabio Borini up front, and Graham is not the man for the job.
The striker should cut his losses and reignite his career at Championship level, where he is more than capable of making a difference.
Valentin Roberge
The French defender signed for Sunderland on a free transfer in 2013.
Since then, the 28-year-old has played just 13 times for the Black Cats, and has not featured for the first-team this season having been omitted from their 25-man Premier League squad.
Three appearances for the Under-21's are all Sunderland have to show for the player’s wages since the summer and, with just under a year left on his current deal, the Black Cats will no doubt want to offload the defender to the Championship.
Adam Matthews
It seems likely that the Welsh right back will be allowed to leave in January after his unsuccessful spell at the club.
The right back was brought in from Celtic over the summer, but has failed to make an impact at the Stadium of Light.
Allardyce will be looking to revamp his side, and Matthews looks like he will not be in the manager’s plans. Matthews started Sunderland’s opening game against Leicester City this season, but has failed to cement his place in the team since then.
The former Celtic man has played in the Championship before with Cardiff City, and would benefit greatly from returning to the second tier of English football.
Will Buckley
The midfielder has recently been on loan with Leeds United, but was recalled to Sunderland last week after only making four appearances at Elland Road.
Buckley will be surplus to requirements at the North East club after making little impact at the Stadium of Light.
Allardyce will look to build a new team to lead Sunderland away from relegation and it is highly likely that Buckley will not be a Sunderland player for much longer.
A permanent move to the Championship could suit him in the long run.
Wes Brown
The central defender has had an illustrious career, but his glory days are certainly over.
There are question marks whether he should be shipped out of the club, with his performances for the Black Cats being far from convincing.
Sunderland have looked extremely shaky at the back over the past year, and Brown has been the architect to individual mistakes that have cost Sunderland dearly.
The centre-back has only made one appearance for the club this season, and could bring vast experience to a Championship defence.
Football League fans… Would you like to see any of these five Sunderland players at your club? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!