Pick Your Poison - Sunderland

The Challenge

Pick 3 players you believe have left your club and gone onto bigger/better things and you want back at the club. Then make a choice between the 3 players as to which one you'd take back in the current squad. Judge all players on the time of their sale, not currently.

The Challenger

Michael Graham, 31, Sunderland

Player 1

Danny Welbeck - Striker
2010/11 (LOAN)

"Whilst many may have raised an eyebrow when seeing how involved with the Manchester United first team Danny Welbeck has been this season, there was no such surprise amongst Sunderland fans. Last season we had the privilege of having the youngster on loan and he had Manchester United pedigree oozing out of every facet. Welbeck appears to be the archetypal modern day striker, possessing the touch and vision to go with formidable physical attributes. Many believed that the club had enough prospects of their own that should be getting the playing time that would be devoted to that of another club. But the player started contributing to the first team immediately and it was clear from the start that he was far more than a 'prospect' - he was a Premier League player. 

It is fair to say that Sunderland have been haemorrhaging strikers at a frantic rate this year, with Welbeck, Bent, and Gyan all wearing the colours of another club at this moment in time. The latter two will not make this short-list, as the only thing 'bigger and better' about what they have done since leaving is their pay-packets, but Welbeck is making a big contribution to the champions and being fast-tracked into the England side. Whilst the other strikers we have lost have made the headlines, Welbeck has been a huge miss."

 Danny Welbeck has been superb for Manchester United this season, but that is with a huge thanks to Sunderland for the way they developed the youngster last season during his loan. He struggled to make an impact at first, but once he found a home cutting in from the left flank he found great form scoring in a run of games including the 3-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. His general play improved greatly but he also developed physically during his loan spell on Wearside. He pushed for an England call-up but injury pulled the plug on that before he returned to Manchester United this season to earn that illustrious cap. 

Welbeck offers great pace, guile and vision beyond his years as a footballer. Sometimes he can be a bit rash though but his general approach to the game is something to be admired for a man of such tender age.

Player 2

Shay Given - Goalkeeper
1996 (LOAN)

"It may surprise people to see such a Newcastle United stalwart in a Sunderland list. In fact, a lot of people may not even be aware Given is a former Sunderland player. But before he was a Premier League mainstay, before anyone had even heard of him actually, Given was a very important part of the Sunderland team that laid the foundations of the relative successes the club is enjoying today. At the turn of the year, Peter Reid signed the then Blackburn youngster on loan and stunned everyone by instantly throwing him into his promotion chasing team. We needed not worry, though, as Given's immense quality was evident from day one. During Given's brief 17-game spell at Roker Park, he amassed a massive 12 clean sheets as the championship was claimed. For the record, that means that in 17 games with Sunderland he won more medals than in the 400 he played for Newcastle. 

The club seems to have been searching for a reliable goalkeeper for years at this point. Craig Gordon is a richly talented shot-stopper, but suspect in other areas of his game and has an atrocious injury record. Mignolet we have high hopes for but injury has just befallen him as well. Given was good enough from the day he walked into the club as a 19 year-old and I wish we could have kept him."

Shay Given has become one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the Premier League after his fantastic spell at Newcastle, struggle at Manchester City and now Aston Villa but he began to make his name at Sunderland while on loan from Blackburn Rovers. He kept 12 clean sheets in his 17 games at Roker Park and helped them to a championship medal. His superb reflexes and handling make him one of the greatest British goalkeepers ever and at the age of 19 he would have had his entire career ahead of him.

Player 3

Stewart Downing - Winger

2003 (LOAN)

"Another high-profile player that many may not be aware ever played for Sunderland. Downing enjoyed a loan-spell at Sunderland back in 2003 as Mick McCarthy was trying to steady the ship following the total implosion of the club during Peter Reid's final months here. The more eagle-eyed of you will notice that this makes it a hat-trick of loanees, but for whatever reason Sunderland has always been a club for overachievers who struggle to replicate it elsewhere. The elegance and quality on the ball that has defined Downing's career was evident immediately at Sunderland despite his tender 19 years. In fact his form was so good that he was recalled after a mere 7 games and thrust immediately into the Premier League limelight by Middlesborough. 

It is no exaggeration to say that I genuinely struggle to remember the last natural left-sided wide-player we have had at Sunderland of any actual quality. You probably have to go all the way back to Julio Arca. It is a failing that has plagued the club for years and how different it could have been had the club been in able to secure his services on a permanent basis. The fact that he was in the England squad within 18 months of having his loan spell ended shows that even the 19-year-old version of Downing could have impacted Sunderland at Premier League level."

 I personally don't remember Stewart Downing ever being at Sunderland and now I remember why. He played a mere 7 games at the club before he was recalled by parent-club Middlesbrough and put straight into their first team. A traditional left winger he has pace and likes to run at his man before whipping in a cross with his favoured left foot and he's gone on to big things since his loan spell. He didn't do anything special while on loan at the Stadium of Light, but it was enough for Middlesbrough to notice his talent which has subsequently seen him get his "big-money move" to Liverpool this summer for £20M. A natural, creative winger is something that Sunderland have lacked for a while now and he would be a perfect fit for that role in the squad.

CONCLUSION

MICHAEL GRAHAM

"The great Brian Clough always said that he couldn't understand why top goalkeepers didn't cost as much as top strikers, and I completely agree with that. A save can be as valuable as a goal and Shay Given has made a career out of pulling off saves that he had absolutely no right to make. For that reason, coupled with the fact that he was young enough, and good enough even at the time, to provide the kind of goalkeeping stability Sunderland and so many other clubs rarely enjoy, it has to be Shay Given. He would immediately improve the current team considerably."

DMF

This season, Sunderland have struggled a fair deal throughout the pitch. Their defence has been leaking goals, their strikers haven't been scoring and their midfield has struggled to create. It's difficult to choose to who take back, but with Steve Bruce sacked yesterday it shows that some fresh blood in the squad could be exactly what the club needs to kick-start their season. Simon Mignolet and Craig Gordon have great potential, but Mignolet seems a bit hot and cold this season while Craig Gordon seems to have terrible luck with injuries and it's been said numerous times that a reliable and sturdy goalkeeper is the key to success so for that reason, Shay Given is the player that I believe would be best to return to the Stadium of Light in the current day.

Do you agree with the choices that @Capt_Fishpaste made? Let us know in the comments section or on Twitter.

Also, take a look at @RokerReport - 'Sunderland AFC's finest blog and podcast'.

DMF. (@dmf180593)