The Sunderland supporters in the Transfer Tavern have spent many nights this past year drowning their sorrows in lager and cheap spirits, following a miserable campaign for the Black Cats which looks to finally end in relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.

The army of Sunderland fans have vented their frustrations of late at the club who have been reluctant to sack manager David Moyes, despite all of their relegation rivals wielding the axe at some point during the season.

It has been a long old season for the disgruntled supporters and some are even giving up the ghost when it comes to going to watch the games, instead preferring the warmth of the landlord’s Tavern and a big screen instead of a trip to the Stadium of Light.

Our landlord looked at two players who could find themselves dropped from the starting line-up ahead of today’s daunting looking contest with Manchester United.

Jack Rodwell

The injury-prone midfielder has hardly been a great performer for the Black Cats and it remains to be seen just how much longer boss David Moyes will persist with the under performing player.

One Sunderland fan is sat flicking through the newspaper with a pot of the landlord’s famous green tea and he thinks that Rodwell is a waste of space, stating that there are much better players being left on the bench each week by Moyes.

Fabio Borini

Sunderland could look to play just one up top this weekend against Manchester United and that could spell disappointment for the Italian striker.

Jermain Defoe is nailed on to start in attack so it looks like being the ex-Liverpool striker who drops to the bench instead, with the Black Cats likely to pack out the midfield.

One Sunderland fan is eating a bacon butty and enjoying an early pint and he thinks that the team has nothing to lose by going at United from the off, stating that he would like to see Borini start alongside Defoe in today’s game.