Sunderland have endured another difficult campaign in Sky Bet League One this season as they find themselves outside of a play-off place as we head into the business end of the season.

It has certainly been a season of ups and downs for the Black Cats who currently find themselves in 7^th place in the table on 59 points after 36 games. Phil Parkinson’s side are only outside the top six on goal difference but could find themselves as low as 9^th should Wycombe Wanderers and Doncaster Rovers win their games in hand.

The season started in poor form as they struggled to perform away from home with their performances costing Jack Ross his job, he was later replaced by Parkinson who has overseen a change in philosophy at the club. He masterminded the Black Cats’ superb run at the turn of the year as they rose back into automatic promotion contention, however recent results have seen them slip outside of the play-offs.

Last time out the Black Cats were beaten on the road again as they fell into the clutches of Bristol Rovers, Jonson Clarke-Harris struck a brace as the Gas raced into a two-goal lead. Parkinson’s side couldn’t find a reply which gave them their eighth defeat on the road.

With the EFL postponement delaying their promotion ambitions for the foreseeable future, we take a look at the club’s top 10 performing players at the Stadium of Light this season with five or more appearances, as per their WhoScored.com ratings…

The midfielder made his return to his boyhood club back in January of 2019 following a successful spell with North-East rivals Middlesbrough. Leadbitter captained Boro to promotion into the Premier League but has struggled to make that kind of impact so far at the Stadium of Light. He has often been left on the bench with Parkinson opting to a any duo from Max Power, George Dobson and Josh Scowen.

Surprisingly, Gooch hasn’t been one of the Black Cats’ best players this season on average rating which seems strange considering the impact he has on the side. He has been a mainstay on the left-hand side of the Sunderland midfield, making 28 starts so far this campaign and has also managed to find the net on 10 occasions. The American is enjoying a productive campaign and could play a huge role in their promotion push once the season gets back underway.

McLaughlin appears to be one of the players who has fallen out of favour under Parkinson with the former Bolton and Bradford manager choosing Luke O’Nien to play right wing-back since his arrival at the club. The Northern Irishman has made 12 starts this season which mostly came at the beginning of the campaign under former boss Jack Ross.

Another player who felt the wrath when Parkinson was appointed at the Stadium of Light, McGeady had been one of the few bright sparks for Sunderland under Ross but never managed to get a run in the side under Parkinson. This led to the Irish international being sent out on loan to Championship side Charlton Athletic until the end of the campaign.

Whilst the two before him fell out of favour to the current Sunderland manager, Flanagan has managed to become a mainstay in Parkinson’s starting 11. Playing his role in their back three, Flanagan offers a threat going forwards as on many occasions he has caused problems for opposing defenders from set pieces. Flanagan has also shown his calmness when playing out from the back which has been another key factor in his average rating.

A summer acquisition from Coventry City, Willis has certainly made his mark at Sunderland since his arrival as he was a key part of Jack Ross’ squads as well as Parkinson’s starting 11. Sunderland’s number four has been made captain on several occasions and has been a key component in their rise up the League One table.

Another player who has struggled to work his way into the plans of Parkinson with the majority of Lynch’s minutes coming under former boss Ross. The defender has found himself being an unused substitute with it becoming clear that his position in the pecking order has been lowered since the arrival of Parkinson.

Wright only just qualifies to be on this list with the Australian centre-half making five appearances for Sunderland since his loan move from Bristol City in January. The Aussie appears to have suffered ankle ligament damage during Sunderland’s 1-0 win at the Kassam Stadium over Oxford United. Wright had managed to work his way into the side before his injury with Alim Ozturk stepping back into the line-up in his absence.

O’Nien has been a revelation since his arrival in the North-East and has grown into a favourite amongst the club’s supporters with his determination and work ethic. He arrived from Wycombe Wanderers back in the summer of 2018 and has been in the team ever since. This year he has been mainly used as a right wing-back which has seen him develop massively into one of the best the third tier has to offer.

This will come as no surprise to the Sunderland supporters as Maguire is the player with the highest average rating so far this campaign. The Scottish playmaker has been massive for the Black Cats this year offering 10 goals and nine assists so far from the right-hand side of the front three. His ability to create something out of nothing has had Black Cats supporters on the edge of their seats many a time this campaign.