Sunderland have announced that two non-executive directors have joined the club, Sky Sports presenter David Jones and Tom Sloanes, who is a commercial director at GVC Group.

Supporters are very excited about the arrival of Jones, who they see as one of their own and a man who has the club’s best interests at heart, as he is a Sunderland fan.

He should also have a greater understanding of the club and the feelings of the fans, what they have gone through in recent years and what they want to see happen next.

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That puts him in the perfect position to advise the board on the best course to take, and if he can have an immediate positive impact in any way then fans may slowly start supporting Stewart Donald once more.

Fan opposition to the board has grown in recent weeks and is getting progressively worse the longer Phil Parkinson is kept on without delivering results.

Some fans likely want Jones to step in and help to get rid of the Black Cats’ boss, though that is unlikely at this stage as Donald still has faith in the man he appointed just over a month ago.

Nevertheless, fans are confident it is a step in the right direction, and an external figure to take a fresh look at affairs could help to identify problems previously overlooked, and help solve those issues.

Former player Kieron Brady has also raised his concerns about problems at the club in recent days, and revealed the steps he has taken to try and help the club move back in the right direction.