At The Back

GK: Alex Palmer

This is a fairly obvious choice, isn’t it? He’s played all 46 league games, and hopefully, he’ll add three more appearances to that tally before heading off to West Brom, where it will be borderline criminal if he is not installed as number one when Sam Johnstone leaves in the summer.

RB: Regan Poole

My guess is that this is the first position that some might argue against, but there’s no point. In my eyes, Regan Poole has done tremendously well since joining the club, under tough circumstances. There’s been little time to work on patterns of play as games have come thick and fast, and this ten-day spell will be of huge benefit to the former Manchester United man. His stats in recent weeks have been impressive too, and he offers some real flexibility in terms of his skillset. He’s often the player heading clear from the defence when we’re under pressure, but he also gets forward plenty. Expect him to be our first-choice right-back all next season, hopefully in the Championship. His task, should he chose to accept it, will be to keep McGeady quiet and getting it right cuts off a vital source of Wyke’s chances.

LB: Tayo Edun

Tayo is a real-life Swiss Army Knife, with more functions than the normal player. He’s a left-back, a defensive midfielder, an attacking midfielder and I dare say a left winger too. Plus, if you get on the wrong side of him, he’ll cut you, as Ed Upson found out (not literally). He’s a proper pocket rocket, full of aggression but so very slick in possession. I’m still not convinced left-back is his best position, but I am convinced for now he is our best left-back. I do like Bramall, but he is an attacking left-back whilst I feel Edun is a little more of an all-rounder. I think we’ll need that against the Mackems.

CB: TJ Eyoma

I might surprise a few here, but I would start Eyoma at right centre back next week. I love this lad, he’s powerful, tough as a steel girder and he can play a bit as well. In recent weeks, he’s slotted in at left-sided centre back with consummate ease and I think he has given Michael a real headache to contend with. For the record, I don’t think he will start, but in my eyes, he should. His attitude has been first-rate, he never let his head drop when he was out of the side and I can’t recall a bad game he has had all season. With the weight of my next pick next to him, we’d have youth and energy combined with knowledge and experience, which I think is a perfect combination.

CB: Joe Walsh

Here’s a stats for you – if Joe Walsh had played more games, his average rating from you lot would be enough for him to take the Player of the Year Award. The sad fact is that he has not, he has started just 18 league matches in a season blighted by injury. That said, he appears to be back at just the right time and if he’s fit, he starts for me. Obviously, being left-sided is a big boost as he adds a balance to the back four, and he has ample experience to help the players around him too. I think he is the best central defender we have at the club and because of that, I think he’d pair well with Eyoma. Of the 18 league matches Joe has started, we lost just three and in those matches we kept 11 clean sheets. That’s an impressive stat right there. Also, Charlie Wyke has scored 25 of Sunderland’s 70 league goals this season, more than a third (35%). If Walsh can keep him quiet, we’re in with a serious chance.