Sunderland endured a frustrating afternoon on Saturday, as they were beaten 4-0 by Middlesbrough in a north-east derby at The Stadium of Light.
Goals from Sam Greenwood, Matt Crooks, Isaiah Jone and Marcus Forss, all coming after the break, secured an emphatic victory for the visitors in that match.
Even so, Sunderland are still on a good run right now, with that loss just their second defeat in their last nine games.
As a result, Tony Mowbray’s side do still sit fourth in the current Championship table, as they look to back-up their run to the play-offs from last season.
Consequently, there is still plenty of news around the Black Cats right now, ranging from the fall-out to Saturday’s game, to transfer links ahead of the January transfer window.
So with that in mind, we’ve taken a look some of the biggest news stories to have emerged from Sunderland recently, right here.
Arguably the big turning point from Sunderland’s defeat to Middlesbrough on Saturday, came with the game locked at 0-0 on the stroke of half-time, when Dan Neil was shown a second yellow card by referee Jarred Gillett when reacting in frustration to a free-kick not being awarded for the Black Cats.
That left Sunderland playing the second half a man down, which ‘Boro took full advantage, and Mowbray was understandably unhappy with that decision, accusing Gillett of “spoiling the game” by showing the red card, which he felt was a harsh decision.
The Black Cats boss also suggested the decision to dismiss Neil was “ridiculous” when considering Gillett had apparently told him pre-match, that he intended to referee the game “empaphetically”
Clarke has emerged as a key man for Sunderland over the past couple of seasons, becoming one of the Championship’s most dangerous wingers, and attracting some considerable interest from elsewhere in the process.
Now it seems as though the list of potential suitors for the 22-year-old is continuing to grow, with the latest reports from journalist Alan Nixon claiming that Brentford are now considering a move for the winger.
It is thought that the Premier League side are weighing up a £15million bid for Clarke, with it suggested that a sizeable offer could tempt Sunderland to sell, despite their aims to win promotion this season.
Another Sunderland player who looks to be attracting interest from the top-flight of English football before the transfer window reopens in January, is Dan Ballard.
As per Nixon, the centre back has been watched by newly promoted Burnley in recent weeks, as they consider a move for the Northern Ireland international, in their attempts to solidify their backline following their return to the top-flight.
However, the 24-year-old is another who is seen as integral to the Black Cats’ push for promotion, which combined with a contract at The Stadium of Light that that runs until the summer of 2027, meaning he will not be cheap for any club come the turn of the year
