Player of the month: August

Sunderland have ended the first month of the new premier league season rock bottom of the pile with a poor 2 points. Prior to the season optimism was high on Wearside, with a host of new signings and Dick Advocaat returning to the helm, Sunderland fans had hoped for a good start, particularly given the decent fixtures given to the Black Cats on paper. Defeats to Leicester City and Norwich City got Sunderland off to the worst possible start, however, draws against Swansea City and Aston Villa have restored a little pride.

Some of our Read Sunderland writers have selected their player of the month for August and here they are:

Chris Sparks

My player of the month goes to the amazing Patrick Van Aanholt. Not really, my player of the month goes to one of the new boys, the midfield maestro himself Yann M’Vila. The French international has been a breath of fresh air in the heart of the Black Cats midfield since his season-long loan move from Rubin Kazan.

M’Vila has been the stand out player so far this season, showing off his wide passing range, his defensive capabilities and has also chipped in with a stunning goal, a perfect all round midfielder. The Frenchman will be a vital part of Dick Advocaat’s plans moving forward this season and will hopefully replicate his early-season form in the coming months.

Ryan Groves

There are a few that have performed well in the first month of the season despite a poor start, however, my player of the month is Jermain Defoe. The equalizer against Swansea was vital to get the first point on the board to ensure it wasn’t three defeats in a row to begin the season. His hattrick in the cup game vs Exeter also proved to be important in what was a dangerous game.

He still hasn’t found his best form, but 5 goals in 5 games speaks for itself, especially when you consider he has played predominately as a winger, a role unfamiliar to him. Hopefully, Defoe can continue his form and may be given a chance in-field following the recent signing of Fabio Borini who is likely to occupy Defoe’s left-wing role.

Alex Finch

I have chosen Yann M’Vila as my player of the month as he has quite simply been a cut above the rest. His superb free-kick against Aston Villa at the weekend showcased M’Vila’s undoubted quality and if he can maintain his early season form then his arrival will likely be one of the key areas in the Black Cats’ ambitions this season.

The former Rennes man has been credited as the 4th best signing in the entire league, which speaks volumes of how good he has performed in his opening month in red and white. He has been a solid player even in the games we have lost and shone against Aston Villa with similar performances being set as the benchmark going forward for the talented Frenchman.