Last Season - What season?

Position: 17th

One to forget for Sunderland fans. Only a pitiful 29 league goals scored during the entire season, one of the worst away records in the Premiership and the worst goal difference of all the sides that staved off relegation - which Sunderland only escaped by four points. Peter Reid's side managed only one game in the League Cup, beaten 4-2 by Division One strugglers Sheffield Wednesday, and one game in the FA Cup, beaten 2-1 by West Bromwich Albion, before being knocked out of the competitions.

Transfers - In and Out

Coming In: Tore Andre Flo (Rangers) - £6.75million Matt Piper (Leicester) - £3.5million Marcus Stewart (Sunderland) - £3.25million Stephen Wright (Liverpool) - £3million Sean Thornton (Tranmere) - Tribunal Phil Babb (Sporting Lisbon) - Free Thomas Myhre (Besiktas) - Free On The Move - All the transfers

Getting Out: Michael Ingham (Stockport) - Free Brendan McGill (Carlisle) - Free Bernt Haas (FC Basle) - Loan Craig James (Hibernian) - Loan Lilian Laslandes (Bastia) - Loan Michael Proctor (Bradford) - Loan Dene Shields (Doncaster) - Loan Stephen Harrison - Released Ross Marchant - Released

The Gaffer - Peter Reid

The Sunderland manager was a much criticised figure as the club clumsily made its way through last season. But having rescued the club from the foot of Division One and guided it into the Premiership the calls for him to be axed weren't absolute. The fans were split and the website www.reidytogo.co.uk was spawned as a forum for both pro and anti Reid fans to air their views. Former Everton hero Reid took over at Sunderland in 1995, after being sacked as manger of Manchester City, and won the Division One Championship at the end of the 1995/96 campaign. The Black Cats dropped out of the Premiership the following season but in 1999 Reid's team won the Division One title once again. The club went on to reach the top seven of the Premiership and have remained in English football's top flight ever since. Relegation was a close call last season and a repetition of that performance would surely spell the end for Reid.

Player to Watch - Phil Babb

After a season that saw Sunderland concede 35 goals away from home, the fourth worst record in the Premiership, Black Cats fans will be hoping that summer signing Phil Babb can stem the tide. The former Liverpool defender returns to the Premiership after two seasons with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, where he was voted defender of the year last term. The 32-year-old Ireland international snubbed a new contract with Sporting to join Sunderland and will be hoping to strike up a watertight partnership with Brazilian stopper Emerson Thome, returning from a knee injury, or Swedish star Joachim Bjorklund.

Young Gun - Kevin Kyle

With veteran Niall Quinn clocking up a few more miles, Scotland international Kevin Kyle might get the chance to shine up front for Sunderland. But the 21-year-old's chances depend upon two things: the 35-year-old Quinn continuing to start on the bench and Peter Reid opting for a more attacking approach and abandoning last season's unsuccessful 4-5-1 formation. Kyle had loan spells at Huddersfield Town, Darlington and Rochdale before making his Sunderland debut in the 1-0 win at Southampton in 2001. He continued to gain experience the following season and caught the eye of Scotland manager Berti Vogts, who took him on a tour of the Far East and gave him his full debut against South Korea in 2002. The striker has the potential to succeed, he just needs the opportunity.

Fans FC

I envisage really good things for Sunderland this season. After all the flak the manager and players have taken it will leave them with a lot to prove and they will respond with typical Peter Reid grit and determination. Teams will once again not relish coming to the SOL.

Claudio Reyna, fresh from his World Cup success, will prove what a great midfielder he is, and Julio Arca, Super Kevin Philips and Gavin McCann back from injuries and contract problems will once again be at their best.

The signing of a class forward and a couple more additions will solidify Sunderland's season - a top six finish.

By 11 Men, a Sunderland fan.