Sunderland AFC transfer gossip: Ex-Cats and Leeds United defender set for free transfer, promotion rivals left fuming at 'terrible result', Joey Barton lays down challenge to Bristol Rovers squad

The result means Lee Johnson’s side are unbeaten in their past 11 games in all competitions and have only lost once in their last 17.

But with promotion rivals Hull City and Peterborough United also drawing, the top of the table hasn’t changed.

The Black Cats still are just five points off first place but have two games in hand over league-leaders Hull and a game to come against the Tigers.

As usual, however, there is still plenty of transfer talk and general gossip swirling around the web:

Former Sunderland and Newcastle United man set for exit

Danny Rose is set to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The left-back is said to have turned down multiple offers by Spurs to terminate his deal early but will finally exit when his contract expires.

Rose was linked with Middlesbrough earlier this season according to Football Insider.

Indeed, the same publication also claimed that Watford had an offer ‘knocked back’ last October.

Rose started his career at Leeds United and rose up through their youth ranks before he was lured to Tottenham as a youngster.

The 30-year-old former England international left-back has spent time at both Sunderland and Newcastle on loan previously.

Darren Ferguson fumes at Peterborough United performance against Rochdale

Posh were 2-0 up against Rochdale before conceding three goals on the bounce.

Ferguson’s side managed to rescue a late point but was not happy at his team’s display.

He told the Peterborough Telegraph: "The players need not think that was a point gained just because we scored a 93rd-minute equaliser. This was two points dropped and I’m annoyed, frustrated and angry. It’s a terrible result.

“We were unrecognisable in the second half. We stopped doing the things we had been doing. It was the worst performance since we lost at Portsmouth in December and we cannot afford any more of them.

“Our position in the table hasn’t changed which is good, but this was a great chance to make a psychological impression on our rivals by winning handsomely.”

Joey Barton lays down gauntlet at Bristol Rovers

Joey Barton told any player Bristol Rovers not up for the challenge of ‘climbing Everest’ in a bid to avoid relegation can walk away now.

The Gas lost 2-0 to Plymouth and sit one place outside the drop zone on goal difference ahead of the visit of Sunderland in League One this Saturday

He said: ‘We now go into a phase of 10 games when we’re fighting for our footballing lives,

“We’re trying to climb Everest and those that can come with us, great, because the higher we go now, the altitude, the air gets thinner and if we’ve got any passengers, they’ll cause casualties along the way

“We can’t have any passengers for these next 10 games, because if we have passengers, we’ll all die, we’ll all be killed. You can’t, with the challenge we’re trying to do, carry people.

“I’ve asked them to go away and have a long, hard look at themselves, and decide on Monday whether they’re all-in or not.

“If they’re all-in, great, we’ll get on with the job of summiting the mountain. If they’re not, they won’t be coming on the journey with us.”

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