It's fair to say that Sunderland haven't had a very enjoyable time since the turn of the century. Apart from a pair of seventh-placed Premier League finishes early on, they've faced two of the worst relegations in league history, several gutwrenchingly narrow escapes, and a slew of terrible players. For every Kevin Phillips or Jordan Henderson there have been many more underwhelming names at the Stadium of Light, from knackered has-beens to highly-rated youngsters. In the current world of Youtube compilation packages and constant transfer chatter, every football fan with a Twitter account fancies themselves as a professional talent scout. The fact of the matter is, no transfer is risk-free. There's no telling how a player will slot into a certain system, or adapt to their new surrounding.s Now, with current manager Dick Advocaat promising an active transfer window, fans will be gnawing their fingernails off in the hope of avoiding another season-ruining flop. Most mackems aren't deluded - they have long accepted that players of genuine quality are an extreme rarity at the Stadium of Light, they simply want competency and effort. Unfortunately, many players over the past fifteen years have lacked both entirely. Here is Sunderland's worst squad of the 21st century (including their most hapless manager). Be sure to leave your own suggestions in the comments section, as long as doing so doesn't inspire too many painful memories.
