Sunderland favourite calls for Leeds United striker decision

I could spend the full column discussing the referee’s abysmal performance during the game, but it would not warrant the ink.

On Saturday, Luton came to town, another team right in the promotion mix and gave Sunderland another chance to show how far they have come since the dark days of League One.

I feel this season is definitely one to be celebrated rather than one to be frustrated at.

I know there was a time when people felt promotion was a genuine possibility, myself included, but really it would have been a superhuman effort to get promoted again given the rotten luck the squad have had with injuries throughout the course of this season.

The Luton game wasn’t one of the greatest I’ve seen at the Stadium Of Light, but it was still a decent watch.

I think Ross Stewart is a player who with every passing game of football becomes a bigger loss.

He offers so much when he is fit and if he had not have picked up his injuries then I do believe the team could have sustained a genuine play-off push deep into the latter games.

Joe Gelhardt is a good player and I believe he will go on and have a top career, but it’s just doesn’t seem to be working for him at the moment.

I think he has a clever football brain and he takes up decent positions, but I feel it may be time to give somebody else a run up there.

He looks like a player whose confidence is shot to pieces in front of goal and continuing to start him may do him more damage than good.

He is snatching at chances and it may suit him to come on against a tiring defence late on, rather than have the pressure on him from the off.

The least Sunderland deserved on Saturday was a draw and Amad Diallo getting back amongst the goals on his return will do him the world of good.

This young squad will be better for this season and between now and the end of the campaign is a good time for Tony Mowbray to get more minutes into the younger lads in the squad.

There are still a lot of points to play for and hopefully the team can continue to produce an attacking brand of football that supporters enjoy coming to watch.

The international break has come at a decent time and it will give everyone a bit of time to reflect on the season as well so far.

As a whole, it’s been a very enjoyable one to this point, albeit there is a sense of what could have been if the health of the squad had been stronger in important periods.

There has been a feel-good factor about the club and Tony Mowbray has proven to be a more than capable pair of hands.

Let’s see what the final eight games of his Championship season bring.