Sunderland - Steven Fletcher
Sunderland are another side that can consider themselves somewhat fortunate to be a Premier League club, after some last-minute victories and added passion from new manager Paolo Di Canio was enough to keep them in the division. Another side that had a lack of goalscoring potential in the back-end of the season which saw them gradually slip down the table, Sunderland will need to ensure that they are more of a potent threat in the final third. To be frank, in my opinion Sunderland were the third worst team with regards to performances last season, but thanks to the excitement and the freshness that Di Canio was able to immediately imbue in the squad. Just like Martin O'Neill did in 2011, and that turned out well. Di Canio will have to learn very quickly after only one previous stint in management at Swindon, and while his passion is commendable, he will probably have to become gradually more restrained with the cameras more heavily focused on him in his new surroundings. To be fair, the board of Sunderland have shown a desire to ensure they are not battling at the bottom this year, with the manager given funds to splash on heavy recruitment, with new players including Emanuele Giaccherini, Modibo Diakite and Jozy Altidore. Hopefully these players are able to add a much needed new dimension to the Black Cats, but they are still missing some star power that will win them the tight games against other teams contesting the lower half of the table. Perhaps a player that will feel like a new signing is Steven Fletcher, whose goals throughout the season for Sunderland are one of the chief reasons that they accrued enough points to survive. He scored eleven goals in the league before his season was cut off by injury, but those goals accounted for a quarter of all the teams goals that season. With the exception of Stephane Sessegnon, the other attacking players in the team were found lacking in the final third; Adam Johnson got five, James McClean two, Frazier Campbell one and both Connor Wickham and Danny Graham failed to score in the league. This is an indication of the importance of keeping the Scot fit and in good form to score the goals they were in desperately short supply of last year. Fletcher is a strong header of the ball and also good with his feet, and if his performances last year are any indication, seems to make the most of any chance that may come his way. Expect him to carry a great deal of expectation by the rowdy Wearside audience, as without him in full flow their reprieve this year may go to waste.
Where will they finish? - 18th