Before last week's mauling to Chelsea I was sulking with my house mate because he didn't sort out tickets for Sunderland's trip to Stamford Bridge.

As a London-based season ticket holder, a home game tends to mean an expensive weekend with hours of travelling so any game in the capital I consider easy trip to get to. I can't remember the last time I was in the same city as where Sunderland were playing and not been at the game and I felt guilty at not being there. Thankfully, I was spared from watching the horror show.

Hamburg defender Guy Demel claims he is wanted by Sunderland and one other English club. AC Milan are also chasing the Ivory Coast international, according to the 28-year-old.

"I know about the interest (from Sunderland),'' Demel, who is currently at the African Nations Cup in Angola, said in an interview with the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper. "I also know that AC Milan and another English club would like to sign me.

"But, I am still a Hamburg player. I have felt very content in all my years in Hamburg and continue to be part of this team.''

Many Sunderland fans will be wondering what side will turn up to this weekend's clash against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

A fantastic performance against Arsenal at the Stadium of Light was followed by a horror show at Wigan Athletic's DW Stadium last weekend. I couldn't believe that it was the same team.

But, inconsistency has been apparent all season and it's something that Steve Bruce will have to address if Sunderland are to stay in the top eight of the Premier League table.

Despite having a small squad to choose from, it seems as though a different team turns up against the likes of Wigan, Burnley, Birmingham and Stoke.

If we can beat the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, why can't we get anything from the teams below us on our travels? If Bruce is to get anything from Fulham this weekend, he'll need to ensure the right Sunderland team gets on the bus to London.

Darren Bent's inclusion in Fabio Capello's England squad raised a few eyebrows in the national press but it won't have surprised anyone in Sunderland.

After eight goals in 12 Premier League appearances and the leading English goalscorer, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Capello to ignore the in-form striker.

However, his place on the plane to South Africa is far from guaranteed. But, could Sunderland have more than just one English player on his way to the World Cup?

The beach ball may have stolen the headlines in the aftermath of Sunderland’s victory over Liverpool at the weekend but that shouldn’t overshadow one of the best Sunderland displays at the Stadium of Light.

The game will surely be remembered by neutrals (and Liverpool fans) for Darren Bent’s freak goal with the help of a beach ball thrown on to the pitch by a young Liverpool fan (he must be having a tough week at school).

But, I’ll remember the game for Sunderland’s performance. We’ve rolled over against the top sides for far too long and it was fantastic to see us completely dominate a club like Liverpool.

It's not often that you come away from Old Trafford disappointed with a point. Sunderland's 2-2 draw against Manchester United could and should have been a well deserved victory.

However, one man's disappointed at the late equalizer only increased when Fabio Capello named his England squad for the final two World Cup qualifiers.

Darren Bent, who scored his 7th Premier League goal of the season on Saturday, must surely be questioning what he has to do to get back in the England setup.

Sunderland kept up their impressive start to the season with a comfortable win over a poor Hull City team last weekend. But, will Steve Bruce's decision to get rid of so many squad players be one that he comes to regret?

Bruce let a number of players leave in the final days of the transfer window and failed to land some of his targets. Despite Sunderland's first XI being arguably the club's strongest in some years, the squad looks very thin.

Once suspensions and injuries begin to take effect, I'm concerned that our squad will not be able to cope, especially in the central of midfield.

Six points from three games and new signings that have made an immediate impact - could this be the season that Sunderland realize their potential and not just break into the top ten but make an assault on European qualification?

Maybe I'm being far too optimistic - it is only three games after all. Sunderland fans generally fall into the 'glass half empty' category when it comes to following their club after years of being starved of success, myself included.

But, with Steve Bruce strengthening throughout the squad, especially in central midfield, and a league containing a dozen teams that would quite happily accept still being in the Premier League at the end of season, there's no reason why Sunderland can't challenge for Europe.

After Newcastle United's relegation, I didn't expect to see a Geordie in The Stadium of Light quite so soon.

The appointment of Steve Bruce raised a few eyebrows across Wearside. A self-confessed Geordie who changes clubs more often than Tiger Woods would make any Sunderland fan slightly apprehensive.

With world-renowned names like Roberto Mancini, Marco Van Basten and Sven Goran-Eriksson linked to the position, it's understandable that Bruce's appointment left many fans feeling underwhelmed.

However, Bruce's appointment could be a shrewd move from Niall Quinn. A born winner from his days at Manchester United and blessed with excellent contacts within game, Bruce could be the man to take Sunderland to the next level, just like he has done with Wigan Athletic.

Sunderland ended their season with a predictable defeat at home to FA Cup finalists Chelsea, but it was events in Birmingham that made the roof come off at the Stadium of Light.

With the final whistle blown, Sunderland fans waited anxiously for confirmation that Aston Villa had beaten Newcastle United to send them down to the Championship. As news filtered through that Newcastle had been relegated, the stadium erupted and Wearside has been celebrating the demise of their neighbours since.

The way Newcastle has been run, it's no surprise that they find themselves in such a mess and the fact that Alan Shearer took them down makes it even more special to Sunderland fans. A banner at Villa Park aimed at the Geordies travelling fans summed it up perfectly: 'Who's your next Messiah - Ant or Dec?'.