Stoke vs Sunderland - 5 Reasons Why Wes Brown Is Key To Black Cats

2. His Defensive Record Is Superb

In the games prior to Brown's return this season alone, Sunderland have shipped in no less than 24 goals, an average of one goal every 43 minutes, inevitably the worst record in the league. But with Brown in the squad, The Black Cats have only conceded a single goal (at the time of writing), another reason to prove that his presence (perhaps along with Italian goalkeeper Vito Mannone) has made a huge difference to Sunderland's defensive form. It goes without saying that this will not last all season, but a huge decrease in the amount of goals conceded will be the difference between Premier League and Football League football next season, and we all know which one the players, the manager and the fans would like to see next season.