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?'.

I can never bring myself to watch the FA Cup when Sunderland has been knocked out. In recent years, this has meant I've lost interest in the competition before it gets to February due to our awful recent record.

This doesn't mean I don't care about the competition. Far from it. In fact, it's the complete opposite. The FA Cup is the greatest club competition in the world and has provided me with some wonderful memories.

However, in recent years clubs have refused to give the FA Cup the respect it deserves and I include Sunderland as one of them.

Season ticket prices have been reduced to as low as £1 per game by Sunderland Chairman, Niall Quinn, in an effort to beat the credit crunch and create a new generation of Black Cats fans.

Prices for an under-16's season ticket at the Stadium of Light next season will be an unbelievable £19. Adults' season tickets will be available from £350 and all season tickets will be reduced by at least £30 - a move that has been hailed by fans and confirmed Quinn's legendary status on Wearside.

The city of Sunderland has not escaped the financial troubles affecting Britain and, in a part of the country that lives for their football, it is excellent news for families wanting to follow their team at a price they can afford.

Sunderland travel to bitter rivals, Newcastle United, this weekend hoping to complete a league double over the Magpies for the first time in 42 years.

With Newcastle struggling with form, injuries and a manager in need of elocution lessons, confidence is high on Wearside.

Buoyed by a hard-fought 1-0 home win against Fulham and playing a team that's in free fall, Sunderland fans will be expecting Ricky Sbragia to play an attacking line-up and go for the win.

The problems at St. James's Park are starting to mount for caretaker manager, Joe Kinnear, and they're problems that the Black Cats will hope to take full advantage of.

It seems that Harry Redknapp can't keep his mouth shut when it comes to talking about other team’s players.

His public pursuit of Sunderland striker, Kenwyne Jones, is an annoyance that new boss, Ricky Sbragia, could do without.

The Tottenham Hotspur manager has not been shy in expressing an interest in the Trinidad & Tobago international, a move that has not been welcomed in Sunderland.