Sunderland are firmly in the mix for a playoff place this season with the race for promotion set to be a very hotly contested one this season.
And in tight races, often it is the smallest margins that can decide your fate. In football, one of those small margins is discipline.
By keeping eleven players on the pitch at all times and not losing your best players through suspension, you will give yourself the best chance of success.
With that in mind, here, using data from Transfermarkt, we take a look at what the current League One disciplinary table looks like and whether or not Sunderland’s discipline may be a worry to supporters as we approach the crunch-end of the campaign:
(Note: To calculate the ‘total disciplinary points’, straight red-cards are awarded five points, second-booking red cards are awarded three points whilst yellow cards are awarded one point.)
A message from the Football Clubs Editor
Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Sunderland AFC coverage 365 days a year.
This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription to our new sports-only package here.
Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor
1. Plymouth Argyle = 56 points
Total yellow cards = 56, straight-red cards = 0, second-booking red cards = 0, discipline points total = 56 Photo: Nathan Stirk
2. Morecambe = 62 points
Total yellow cards = 57, straight-red cards = 1 (Shane McLoughlin), second-booking red cards = 0, discipline points total = 62 Photo: Tony Marshall
3. Bolton Wanderers = 62 points
Total yellow cards = 52, straight-red cards = 2 (Ricardo Santos x2), second-booking red cards = 0, discipline points total = 62 Photo: Gareth Copley
4. MK Dons = 63 points
Total yellow cards = 58, straight-red cards = 1 (Daniel Harvie), second-booking red cards = 0, discipline points total = 63 Photo: Pete Norton