Things are hotting up towards the bottom of the Premier League table and Sunderland are finally beginning to gather some momentum – much to the delight of their supporters here in the Tavern!

David Moyes’ side have had a seriously tricky start to the campaign but a 2-0 win over Champions Leicester City has gone some way in ensuring things are looking a little more positive on paper.

And whilst optimism is a little higher around the Stadium of Light now, make no mistake about it, Sunderland are in a relegation scrap and they need to be doing as much as they can to be getting out of the current mess thy are in.

There’s plenty of talk amongst the punters that there are a handful of players in this current squad that really aren’t pulling their weight as much as they should be.

So with that in mind and armed with some suggestions from our footie-mad customers, here’s 2 players Moyes really needs to get more out of in the very near future…

Patrick van Aanholt

You’ve got to feel a little for Dutch left-back Patrick van Aanholt, who has shouldered some real blame for some of the defensive woes we’ve seen from Sunderland this season.

He’s been susceptible to errors on a number of occasions and at times, he’s just not been good enough on that left-hand side.

The former Chelsea man has come out fighting in recent days though, but he’s one man that certainly needs to up his game if the Black Cats are going to escape a potential relegation battle come the end of the season.

Adnan Januzaj

Manchester United wideman Adnan Januzaj is currently on the books at the Stadium of Light on a loan deal but as we saw last season, he’s struggling to make a real impression on Wearside.

His potential is blindingly clear – we saw some great stuff from him during his time under Moyes at United but one goal and a red card in eight appearances this season isn’t great going in the slightest.

He’s got a real chance to help his side to safety and impress United bosses this season and he really needs to step up if he’s to do either.