An exciting end to the Championship season lies in wait for Tony Mowbray and his Sunderland side as they look to gatecrash the play-off places over the coming weeks.
Ahead of the weekend fixtures and that reunion with former Black Cats manager Alex Neil, Mowbray’s men were sat five points and three places shy of Luton Town, who currently occupy the fourth and final play-off spot. No matter what happens between now and May, it has been a positive first season back in the second tier at the Stadium of Light as several young players continue to shine in red and white.
But what could lie ahead during the summer as Mowbray looks to carry the momentum into next season? The Echo fires up Football Manager 2023 and uses the world’s most popular managerial simulation to predict what movements could take place within the Black Cats squad before the end of August.
1. GK: Anthony Patterson
Mowbray’s undoubted number one has continued to impress in the early weeks of the new season and snubbed interest from elsewhere to remain on Wearside. Photo: Martin Swinney
2. RB: Luke Ayling
Not quite the young addition that have become commonplace at the Stadium of Light, the experienced Luke Ayling joined on a free transfer from Leeds United. Photo: GLYN KIRK
3. CB: Daniel Ballard
Ballard has quickly become a popular figure since joining the Black Cats last summer and he remains a consistent presence at the heart of their defence. Photo: Frank Reid
4. CB: Charlie Cresswell
A reported target of Mowbray’s in the real world, the Leeds United defender made a season-long loan move to the Stadium of Light in the virtual one. Photo: Chloe Knott