Sunderland were certainly active in the January transfer window, with plenty of incomings and outgoings from Phil Parkinson's squad. 

The Black Cats endured a torrid start to the season but managed to get themselves back on track with a nine-match unbeaten run which saw them rise from the bottom half of the table to the play-off positions.

That progress was halted at the weekend when Sunderland fell to a 2-0 defeat against Portsmouth, however the hope is that this will only be a minor blip in their push for promotion.

The hope is that a number of incomings and outgoings in January will be enough to help the club achieve their objectives as the Black Cats plot a return to the Championship.

In our latest FLW Six Pointer, we assess Sunderland's January transfer window in more detail.

Which players arrived at the Stadium of Light in January? 

"Sunderland certainly strengthened their squad in the January transfer window with the arrival of five new players.

"Kyle Lafferty arrived on a short-term deal until the end of the season, before Bailey Wright completed a loan switch from Championship side Bristol City.

"Josh Scowen joined from Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee before Declan John and Antoine Semenyo arrived from Swansea City and Bristol City respectively on transfer deadline day.

"You can't argue that Phil Parkinson's squad looks much better-equipped than they did a month ago, and the hope will be that these signings are enough to get them over the line for promotion."

 

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Which players left Sunderland last month? 

"Sunderland won't lose any sleep over the players that left the club last month.

"Dylan McGeouch was a fringe player who was allowed to leave on a permanent deal, while Laurens De Bock and Marc McNulty had had their loan spells from Leeds United and Reading respectively cut short.

"Aiden McGeady also left the club to join Charlton Athletic on loan, but the feeling will be that he was suitably replaced before the end of the month.

"Balancing the wage bill is a key objective for Sunderland I think the club will be happy at the wheeling and dealing that was done last month as the club certainly look stronger for it."

Why did Phil Parkinson allow Aiden McGeady to leave?

"A fallout behind the scenes seemed to signal the end of Aiden McGeady's Sunderland career.

"The 34-year-old was the highest-earner at the Stadium Of Light and given his mixed performances so far this term it seemed that the Black Cats weren't getting value for money from his substantial wage packet.

"McGeady has 18 months left on his deal so the prospect of moving him on and using some of his wages to fund new additions seemed like a no-brainer for Phil Parkinson's side.

"Whether it pays off remains to be seen, but it certainly looks like the best deal for all parties."

Could Will Grigg have a role to play in Sunderland's promotion push?

"He was heavily linked with a move away in January, but that didn't materialise for the out-of-form striker.

"Whether that was due to finances, or a lack of desire to move on, I'm not entirely sure.

"What I do know is that Will Grigg now faces a pivotal few months.

"The striker is out of favour at the moment but given his undoubted quality the hope for Phil Parkinson will surely be to recapture his confidence and use him as a key asset in their push for promotion.

"He might be down the pecking order at present but that could quickly change with the Black Cats struggling for goals at present."

Will Phil Parkinson's new signings aid Sunderland's aspirations this term?

"It's hard to see anything other than a positive impact coming from the new additions.

"Each of the new arrivals brings something different with them - and that will be key to Sunderland's hopes of securing promotion.

"The experience picked up by the likes of Bailey Wright, Josh Scowen and Declan John in the Championship has to be a huge plus for the Black Cats as they look to deal with the demands of the hectic League One schedule.

"Kyle Lafferty has played at the highest level so the hope is that his fearless approach will help Phil Parkinson's side when the pressure begins to mount.

"Antoine Semenyo has a decent amount of experience for his age, but the exciting forward is highly-rated and it's expected that he could very much hit the ground running this term.

"There's no doubt that the Black Cats look stronger after adding their new additions, so now there's no excuse for not going all of the way in their hunt for promotion."

Can you name every Sunderland player's shirt number this season? 

 

Will Sunderland be challenging for promotion into League One this season after this recent transfer window?

"There's no excuse for Sunderland not to be mounting a serious promotion challenge this term.

"The quality of Phil Parkinson's squad should have seen them in the top three or four teams in the league, but things didn't click in the first half of the season.

"But with the new additions they've undoubtedly got the best squad in League One.

"Automatic promotion may be a long-shot given the fact that they're having to make up for lost time but I'd firmly expect Sunderland to achieve a play-off spot this term.

"Anything less is a huge failure and in that instance I'm sure that the club would come under huge pressure from supporters."