Sunderland fans hail Maja after match-winning performance against Blackpool

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2018 was the year that Sunderland kickstarted a long overdue resurgence under Jack Ross, which means that they go into 2019 with more optimism than there has been around the club for a considerable period of time.

That was reflected in the 7,804 supporters they took to Blackpool yesterday; outnumbering the home fans and cheering the team to a 1-0 win to keep them third in League One.

Josh Maja was again the matchwinner and his goals will be absolutely vital if Sunderland are to clamber out of the third tier.

That makes his dwindling contract situation a real worry; his current deal runs out at the end of the season and his impressive form this season means that there will be no shortage of clubs sniffing around in the hope of engineering a cut-price January deal.

It would be understandable if Maja had his head turned by a club higher up the pyramid and he is unlikely to want to make himself less attractive to suitors by signing a new long-term deal at Sunderland.

However, that is exactly what the supporters would love him to do; it would give their promotion bid a real shot in the arm as well as adding to the growing feel-good factor around the club right now.

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