Roker Roundup: League One manager name-drops Sunderland winger - could he be set to leave?

Cowley on Diamond

With Alex Neil still wanting more players through the door before the transfer window closes, there may be an opportunity for one or two players to head out on loan.

One of which may be Jack Diamond and should he head out for another loan spell, Portsmouth may be in the running for him, with their manager Danny Cowley mentioning the winger during an interview with BBC Radio Solent:

Jack’s a player we know well, he ruined our FA Cup involvement last year... he’s obviously a Sunderland boy who’s come through the academy there, he’s a good player but no we have clarity on what we’d like to bring in.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

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Sunderland the ‘One to watch’

Managerial legend Neil Warnock has tipped Sunderland to be the club to watch during this Championship season.

In his column for the Sun, where Warnock previews the 2022-23 Championship campaign, the now-retired manager says not taking the Sunderland job is his biggest regret and spoke extremely highly of the club’s top scorer from last season, Ross Stewart:

One of my biggest regrets was not taking the Sunderland job when I was at Notts County.

They’re a sleeping giant and have one of the league’s best strikers in Ross Stewart.

I was told last year to go and watch this Sunderland striker called Charlie Wyke, who would soon be available.

I went to watch him but ended up saying, “One of the best strikers in the league has got to be Stewart.”

I like his movement, unselfishness and attitude.

That is one department where they don’t need to strengthen.

He’s as good as any striker in the Championship.

Photo by Roddy Scott/SNS Group via Getty Images

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Another Sunderland tip

Sunderland were also tipped to be dark horses in the Championship this season by a fan survey by Parimatch.

18% of the 500 Championship fans surveyed believe Sunderland will be the dark horses while 25.95% say we will be one of the three clubs promoted, putting us 6th in the Championship based on an aggregation of multiple choice answers, finishing only below Norwich in first, Sheffield United, Watford, West Brom and Middlesbrough.

• Four out of 10 fans think Norwich City (40.32%) will make an instant return to the Premier League as Championship Winners.
• Over a third of fans believe Sheffield United (38.32%) will join them in winning automatic promotion to the top-flight.
• Almost one fifth of fans see Sunderland (18%) as this season’s dark horse, with the newly promoted side expected to make the playoffs alongside Watford, West Brom & Middlesbrough.
• Blackpool (38.72%) are predicted to finish bottom, with Rotherham United (36.33%) and Wigan (35.53%) hotly tipped to join them in League 1.

Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images