Sunderland legend believes these FOUR players are key to promotion hopes

There’s only six games of the season gone but from what I have seen and heard I think there are four players who could be absolutely key to Sunderland’s campaign.
Jordan Willis.Jordan Willis.
Jordan Willis.

Last season’s top performers Jon McLaughlin and Aiden McGeady will still be huge influences and to go with them I am adding Jordan Willis and as a bit of a wild card, I am taking a punt on George Dobson.

Dobson might be considered a strange choice for a key man considering he is not even in the team at the moment - I am not quite sure why - maybe it has always been the plan to blood him slowly but I have watched him closely at Burnley against an experienced Premier League midfield he impressed me and didn’t look out of place.

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Last season one of the criticisms of Sunderland was they looked short of energy and athleticism, especially in the middle third and Dobson can help solve that so if he does get a regular start, I am expecting big things.

Jordan Willis has already established himself at the back, it seems to be a matter of who partners him and he has looked the part since Sunderland ditched the back three system and returned to a flat-back four.

He has brought pace to the defence, another weakness from last season, and for me, he has scored the most important goal so far, his equaliser against Portsmouth that was so crucial and paved the way for Sunderland’s first league win.

My final two, McGeady and McLaughlin, the fans know all about.

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One is arguably the best keeper in League One, the other is definitely the most talented player in League One and Sunderland need them both to be just as good as they were last year.

For any team to succeed though, everybody must play their part but some will play a bigger role than others, we will find out who in May.