Defensively, Sunderland had an absolutely comical season this year.
Conceding 53 goals in 38 games was beyond unacceptable as the Black Cats again only just survived the dreaded drop, and whilst it's easy to blame the defence, and especially the goalkeeper, this was reasonable most of the time.
The team committed 13 defensive errors as a whole, and their two goalkeepers were responsible for five of these.
Costel Pantilimon was first choice throughout the year, playing 28 league games after his competition, Vito Mannone, failed to convince after starting the first nine games of the season.
Mannone joined the club back in 2013 from Arsenal, nailing down a starting berth in his first year. Pantilimon arrived last summer from Manchester City to battle him for this, but the Italian was given the benefit of the doubt and started the season as Sunderland's number one.
He began the campaign well, being one of the stand-out 'keepers in round one as he made three splendid saves to earn his side a point in a 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion. A similar performance came a week later as Sunderland drew 1-1 with Manchester United, but a horror display against Queens Park Rangers followed, reminding everyone exactly why he failed to make the cut at Arsenal, despite their reputation for boasting generally bad goalkeepers in recent years.
The worst was yet to come though as, in just Sunderland's eighth game of the season, Mannone played his part in one of the club's most dismal performances in their history as they were hammered 8-0 by Southampton. The display was simply laughable and just two weeks later, with the 27-year-old failing to redeem himself against Arsenal, he was dropped.
The towering, six foot eight figure of Pantilimon replaced him in goal, and really showed his team-mate up, despite being far from perfect. However, the Romanian had his own moments of madness, notably in the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa during which he was simply shocking.No-one can deny that both goalkeepers are marvellous shot-stoppers, have great athleticism and are wonderful
at collecting the ball in the air, Pantilimon registering an average claim success of 94 per cent this season, and Mannone totting up an even higher 96 per cent.
However, both goalkeepers generally lack consistency and reliability, with the fact that they can be absolute world-beaters on their day the only thing that sees them remain popular in the North East.
Time to step up
Another big problem with both is their distribution. Sunderland are a team who generally play on the counter, with bigger teams dominating possession against them. In the likes of Patrick van Aanholt and Adam Johnson, they have some fantastically quick players too who make this style possible and effective - when their strikers have their shooting boots on, that is.
Yet, when the goalkeeper has claimed the ball and aims to get the team on the attack immediately, they often fail and end up gifting possession straight back to their opposition in a dangerous area. Mannone registered a sloppy 67 per cent success with his distribution this season, whilst Pantilimon's was again worse with an average of 53 per cent.
Another simple thing that both candidates lack is effective communication. So often in the campaign gone, both goalkeepers failed to speak to their defence well enough to avoid extremely preventable mistakes and mix-ups at the back that frequently proved costly.
Pantilimon is definitely a better option than Mannone, but he will have his work cut out for him this season as rumours circulate regarding the future of a young Sunderland prospect by the name of Jordan Pickford.
New blood in the ranks
Speculation has already started about Mannone's future, with the club having reportedly received a number of inquiries about the goalkeeper, who left Arsenal in 2013 because he did not want to be second choice. With two years left on his contract, Sunderland Echo believe that he could be sold for the right price, and manager Dick Advocaat would be keen to promote young Pickford to the first-team.
Pickford is very highly thought of at the club and is looking to earn his chance after a number of impressive loan spells elsewhere in England. His most recent spell came with Bradford City, where he really progressed as an individual and soon developed into a confident man, which allowed his unquestionable talent to shine.
He joined the Bantams on a season-long loan last summer, and was somewhat unconvincing to begin with as an error on the opening day allowed Coventry City to score an equaliser, though Bradford would go on to win the game 3-2.
Murmurs began in the crowd, questioning Phil Parkinson's decision to recruit a goalkeeper on a temporary deal as opposed to devleoping their own for the long-term. However, these thoughts were soon put to the back of the fans' minds as Pickford grew in confidence with each game that came.
He soon developed into a marvellous young goalkeeper; confident when collecting crosses, clever in understanding when and when not to release the ball and smart when facing onrushing opponents in one-on-one situations, standing up and letting them make the first move. All of his physical capablities experienced an almighty boost when the player grew in self-belief, as he soon became comfortable performing in front of Bradford's five-figure crowds.
The experienced back four in front of him certainly helped too, with players in there who have Premier League, Champions League and international experience on their CVs. Their assistance saw Pickford improve his communication in particular, which was somewhat subdued upon his arrival.
A weakness of both Pantilimon and Mannone, another strength of Pickford's game is certainly his distribution. Besides his remarkable arm strength, which allows him to deny strikers even with the tip of a finger, and wonderful athleticism, distribution is the 21-year-old's biggest strength.
The power behind the 'keeper's kicks is brilliant, and his accuracy is generally fantastic too. The best part of this aspect of his game though, is his vision. Pickford gets his head up and looks for options as soon as he gets the ball, looking to release players quickly to exploit a fragile back-line on the counter - which will suit Sunderland's own playing style.
On top of this, the player's footwork is good, with him able to use both feet well and even shimmy away from a high-pressing striker if necessary, though he recognises when risks should not be taken, like this, too.
The work he has done to shadow his relatively small height, the 21-year-old just scraping six foot, cannot be overlooked either, with his positioning marvellous to hide it.
There is little I can say about Pickford that is not positive, and he certainly deserves a chance with Sunderland's first team this season given how poorly they did in the previous campaign.
With some added experience, he is certainly a player who could go on to become England's number one in the future, never mind Sunderland's.
This season, as echoed by plenty of Sunderland fans, Pantilimon should remain first choice, for now. Regardless of whether Mannone leaves or not, Pickford should then be bumped up to second place in the pecking order, sitting on the bench and waiting for his chance to shine. He should get opportunities in the cups, but could also get some in the league too if he impresses in other competitions and Pantilimon slips up.
The time has come now for Mannone to move on, and he will probably agree. He is not one to settle for the bench, and is likely to be looking for a deal elsewhere at the moment anyway, with Sunderland seemingly happy to accept money for a player that has perhaps seen his stint in the North East come to a conclusion after a forgettable season.
Rumours are circulating that Sunderland are in the market for another goalkeeper, but they have the personnel good enough to wear the number one shirt at the club already, and an alternating duo of Pantilimon and Pickford, in terms of raw talent, could be one of the best in the Premier League in the coming season.