As if the promotion run in was not going to be tense enough in the Championship this season, Sunderland have the added intrigue of Mick McCarthy's first return to the Stadium of Light this weekend to worry about.
Okay, worry is probably the wrong word and, given the club’s recent run of form, mildly concerned would also be an exaggeration, but McCarthy’s first appearance at the Stadium of Light since he was sacked in March last year will be an interesting sub-plot in what already promises to be a thriller.
For once, let’s forget the Roy Keane row with McCarthy which soured the Republic of Ireland’s 2002 World Cup Finals appearance. Others probably won’t and will drag it all up again in the next few days, but as far as I’m concerned it’s done, dusted and dealt with.
The two men are never going to be drinking buddies, they are never likely to send each other a Christmas card and they are not going to ring up for a cosy chat about life in the Championship - but they shook hands in November and are no longer sworn enemies cringing at the very mention of the other’s name, so let’s leave it at that please.
Poor old Mick, the manager who was sniggered at in the Premiership but revered in the Championship. No matter what he achieves his managerial career in the future and whatever he achieved in the past, he will always be known as the man with the worst Premiership record in history.
It was bad enough when he was given the Sunderland job after the farcical Howard Wilkinson era, failed to win a game and took them down with the lowest number of points on record. At least he could say that, with just nine games to go, that wasn’t his team
But to take them back to the Premiership as champions two years later - an achievement which will always be remembered fondly on Wearside - and then endure an equally torrid time in the top flight must have felt like a slap in the face on a cold day.
For what it’s worth, I hope Mick gets a warm reception at the weekend. For all of his blunders in the transfer market - Kelvin Davies, Andy Gray, Jon Stead, Christian Bassila, Andy Welsh anyone? - there were some notable success stories like Dean Whitehead, Stephen Elliott and, for a while at least, until he became more interested in making dubious home videos and arguing with Keane, Liam Lawrence.
McCarthy was unlucky to miss out on promotion in his first full season in charge when Sunderland were beaten on penalties in the play-offs by Crystal Palace - the same season they reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
But he took them up as champions the following year with a young team and, for a few months, brought a similar feel good factor to Wearside as the one prompted by Keane this season.
McCarthy’s problem came when he tried to sign players who were good enough for the Premiership, which is a very different challenge - as Watford and Sheffield United will testify this season - than building a team which can get out of the Championship.
Having achieved success with the likes of Whitehead (Oxford United), Elliott (Manchester City reserves) and Lawrence (Mansfield Town), the silver-haired Yorkshireman blundered badly with Davies, Stead and Gray and, ultimately, those mistakes in the transfer market cost him his job.
Not that it took him long to find another one, just four months until Wolves, impressed by his achievements at Sunderland, offered him another tilt at Championship promotion. Maybe that is his level as a manager?
He does not have the charisma, playing record or the reputation of Keane and I’d imagine most Sunderland fans are happier with the proper Irishman in charge, but McCarthy deserves some respect for what he achieved at the Stadium of Light, even if he does still curse Neil Warnock for getting him to pay £1m for Gray!
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