CUP WINNERS AT LAST
With Manchester City being found guilty of 114 out of the 115 charges against them, widespread speculation has surrounded what sort of punishment they might receive. One permutation could be that Sunderland become the retrospective League Cup champions of 2014.
12 years ago, The Black Cats, managed by Gus Poyet, were defeated by City in what was then known as the Capital One Cup. Fabio Borini put Sunderland ahead inside 10 minutes but three second half goals for Manuel Pellegrini’s side saw the Cityzens win the final.
However, with City facing punishment, it could mean Sunderland have earned their first major trophy since 1973. Who were the starting XI that faced the blue side of Manchester that day?
25 VITO MANNONE
The now 38-year-old made 67 appearances on Wearside. His most memorable moment in red and white was the penalty shootout victory against Manchester United in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, where he saved two penalties to send the Black Cats to Wembley. Mannone was also named Supporters’ Player of the Year in 2014 and Club Player of the Year thanks to his efforts in Gus’ Great Escape. Currently, the keeper is a player-coach for Crawley Town after signing earlier in the year.
2 PHIL BARDSLEY
The former fullback played 174 appearances for the Black Cats scoring seven times from defence. Bardo signed for Sunderland in 2008 for £850,000 and scored a late goal in the semi-final against Manchester United to take the game to penalties. Across his time on Wearside, he played a part in several derby day victories over Newcastle, becoming a bit of a cult hero. The 41-year-old retired in 2023, ending his playing career at League Two side Stockport County.
5 WES BROWN
Brown signed for Sunderland in 2011 from Manchester United and earned Man of the Match on his debut. He played alongside fellow ex-United defender John O’Shea helping the side secure their Premier League status in that time. Brown called time on his playing career while playing for Kerala Blasters in India.
16 JOHN O’SHEA
The Irish international signed from Manchester United in 2011 alongside Brown and made 226 appearances in seven years at the club. O’Shea endured back-to-back relegations with Sunderland in 2017 and 2018 before moving to Reading and retiring in 2019.
28 MARCUS ALONSO
The Spanish fullback joined Sunderland on loan from Fiorentina in 2014 and only made 14 appearances for the Black Cats. After his time in the North East, he moved to the capital making 154 appearances for Chelsea before moving to Spanish giants Barcelona. He won one Premier League title, one FA Cup, one Champions League, one Europa League, one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea before winning La Liga with Barca. Not a bad trophy haul for our former loanee, and now he might have a League Cup title to add to that collection!
4 KI SUNG-YEUNG
The South Korean joined Sunderland on loan from Swansea City in 2014 and made 27 appearances. He scored in the quarter finals of the League Cup against Chelsea in the 119th minute, while also being apart of the team that kept Sunderland up that season despite the Black Cats struggling in the relegation zone most of the season.
7 SEB LARSSON
Known for his free kicks, Larsson played 176 games for Sunderland, scoring 12 goals. He was named Sunderland Supporters’ Player of the Year for 2014-15 season before moving to Hull after relegation to the Championship. Larsson returned to Sweden in 2018 when he signed for AIK and retired in 2022.
33 LEE CATTERMOLE
Cattermole made 233 appearances across 10 years. Known for his tough tackling, Cattermole became a fan favourite for Sunderland fans with his old-school style approach to football, earning 32 yellow cards and four red cards in his first 73 games. He is well known for his tackle on Newcastle player Jack Colback, where a photo shows him looking over the injured player has become iconic. After Sunderland, Cattermole joined VVV-Venlo in the Eredivisie. He’s now trying to make a name for himself as a coach and is currently in charge of Gateshead.
14 JACK COLBACK
Beginning his career on Wearside, the midfielder made 115 appearances in red and white before making the short trip to Newcastle becoming the first person to do so since Lionel Perez in 1998. The move left a bitter taste for fans on both sides and in the Tyne-Wear derby he became a victim of a late Cattermole that has become iconic for Sunderland fans ever since.
11 ADAM JOHNSON
Johnson signed for the club in 2012 from Manchester City and made 122 league appearances, scoring 22 goals and assisted Borini’s goal in this final.
31 FABIO BORINI
The Italian winger joined Sunderland originally on loan from Liverpool in 2013 before making the move permanently in 2015. During his time in the North East he made 82 appearances and scored 14 goals including Sunderland’s goal in the Capital One Cup final as well as two famous goals against Newcastle. After relegation was confirmed in 2017, Borini signed for AC Milan, he currently plays for League Two side Salford.
