Ahead of our longest away trip of the season, Sam Down speaks to Dan from ALS_Fanzine for a Wearside view on the game.

I think it’s fair to say this season has been beyond your wildest dreams. What’s been the secret to the success?

That’s totally accurate! We finished 16th last season after the disaster that was Michael Beale and I think most fans were expecting a mid-table season this campaign, with maybe an outside play-off push. The secret is a mixture of: better recruitment, an actual football manager in charge, and a young team becoming a year older. The main factor is certainly Regis Le Bris and the work he puts in during the week.

What were your thoughts on the game at Home Park this year? You were a rare team to face Wayne Rooney’s greens on a good day.

It was a weird one, wasn’t it? Your goals came through a really unlucky OG, a real defensive slip-up and an annoying last-minute winner, but from what I remember you guys were good value for the win. Rooney set you up well and clearly your players were well up for the fight. We were on the back foot for a while.

When we were 2-1 down we obviously pushed hard for that equaliser, but when we made it 2-2 on 86 mins we probably should have settled for the point away from home. It was maybe a sign of the squad’s inexperience that they flooded forward for a winner, which of course ended up with that late sucker punch.

There have been many impressive players for Sunderland this season, but who has stood out the most?

Romaine Mundle stepped into Jack Clarke’s shoes seamlessly on the wing, started the season well but is now injured. Wilson Isidor has led the line very well and could have a goal of the season competition all by himself! I just hope the double penalty miss, and then Tuesday night’s “ghost goal”, doesn’t shatter his confidence.

Chris Rigg has quite literally gone from boy to man this season. The headline-grabbers are him and Jobe Bellingham. But the third man in midfield, Dan Neil, also oozes class and has supposedly attracted interest from Everton and West Ham.

At the back, Chris Mepham’s cool demeanour has us wondering how he’s not playing Premier League football!

And any weak areas in the team?

There are two main weaknesses. The first is fullback depth. Aji Alese broke his leg in the FA Cup which means Dennis Cirkin is our only left back. We love him, but his fitness record suggests he won’t be able to play 90 minutes every week. At right back Trai Hume has been our only option all season, again he’s a popular player but he could do with some competition there.

The second weakness is actually Anthony Patterson’s distribution. He’s a brilliant shot-stopper and maybe goes underrated by some of our fans, but when he’s asked to play out from the back he really looks uncomfortable.

It’s fair to say Regis Le Bris hit the ground running faster than anyone expected him to. How excited are you for the long term project under him?

We’ve described him as a ‘football scientist’ due to the way he studies every opposition and sets Sunderland up on a game-by-game basis. Mainly due to this reason, if we finished in the play-offs I’d trust RLB  in a one-off game against any promotion rival (yes, I am aware that by writing these words I have just cursed us). Furthermore, in the scenario of promotion (please, please) I think Le Bris would be pragmatic enough to tweak the system to make us hard to beat.

In interviews he likes to talk about balance, and that sums him up well. With our young, excitable team he is the level-headed leader who guides them through these new experiences.

And what about the ownership? I know it was rocky at the start but things seem to have stabilised now.

You’re right, it’s been a rough journey with countless ups and downs but right now they’re doing all the right things! KLD bought the club in League One and to be fair he’s transformed us into an upwardly mobile club pushing for the Premier League.

Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman has had more than his fair share of stick, but his dedication to ‘The Model’ is paying off now. The main thing we’ve learnt is that recruitment is absolutely crucial, both in terms of players and staff. The squad isn’t actually that different to last season, just a few additions of experience (Alan Browne, Chris Mepham etc.).

So, overall, the ownership seems to have learned from past mistakes and last season’s pain has made everyone even more determined to put things right. Us fans are just trying to enjoy the ride!

It’s been a pretty good January window for you so far. How long do you think you can keep hold of talent like Rigg and Bellingham?

I do think we’ll keep hold of these young men/boys through January, at least. The Bellingham family seem sensible – both Jude and Jobe have made the absolute correct career move every step of the way so far. So, if we don’t go up I think Jobe will be off in the summer, but I hope for his sake that it’s to the correct club. I can see him going abroad maybe, or to someone like Palace or Brentford in the EPL where he’s not in the spotlight as much as a Manchester United or Spurs. And in the case of promotion, I do feel like Jobe would want to stay at Sunderland and help keep us up whilst proving himself in the top flight. He’s bought into the club and the area.

As for Riggy, he’s still only 17 so time is definitely on his side! It’s all set up for him to thrive here for years, if he wants to. I hope he stays in the summer regardless, because regular game time is the most important thing at his age.

And finally a prediction, for the game and for the fates of both sides this season?

After so many tight results recently, I would love nothing more than a comfortable win, with some early goals and a clean sheet! I’ll go for 3-0 with goals from Isidor, Cirkin and Mayenda. I (tentatively) think we might, possible, maybe go up through the play-offs. Unfortunately I think the damage is already done for Argyle and it’ll end in relegation. Don’t worry though, I’d back you to come straight back up.