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Sean McCormick

Sunderland fans chant for Aiden McGeady, new directors watch dire Bolton draw - Moments you missed

Sunderland's miserable season plunged to new depths on Boxing Day as they slumped to their lowest ever league position.

Phil Parkinson's side could only muster a 0-0 draw with League One's bottom side Bolton Wanderers and they are now seven points adrift of the League One play-off places.

Black Cats fans in the Roker End chanted 'we want Parky out', and called for him to be replaced by club legend Kevin Phillips.

Parkinson has won just two of his first 14 games in charge and the pressure surrounding his future as Sunderland boss is beginning to intensify.

But with all the attention on the key moments, you might have missed some of the other incidents and talking points at the Stadium of Light...

Fans chant Aiden McGeady's name

As well as audible calls for Parkinson's sacking, it was another damning indictment of the discontent supporters feel towards him that they also sang Aiden McGeady's chant yesterday.

Parkinson has told McGeady that he is free to join a new club in the January transfer window with the pair not seeing eye to eye.

McGeady was one of Sunderland's star players last year as they reached two Wembley finals and while he has not quite hit those heights this year, the decision to place him up for sale did not provoke a positive reaction among the supporters.

The Republic of Ireland international has not been named in any matchday squad since but will have felt vindicated when he heard the fans chanting his name yesterday.

Rightly or wrongly, Sunderland fans would rather see Parkinson leave before they see McGeady depart.

Stewart Donald joined by new non-executive directors as Sunderland fans call for Parkinson's sacking

Donald was in attendance for the third successive home game and will have heard the chanting for Parkinson to be sacked.

He was joined in the directors' box by the newly appointed non-executive directors Tom Sloanes and Sky Sports presenter David Jones for the first time since they joined the club.

New Sunderland Non Executive directors David Jones (L) and Tom Sloanes (Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)

They can't have been impressed with what they saw on the pitch but there is believed to be no immediate plans to replace Parkinson.

It is likely he will get the January transfer window to try and change things but Parkinson cannot afford too many more results like yesterday in front of the watching ownership.

Minute's silence

Sunderland continued their long-standing tradition of observing a period of silence at the last home game of the calendar year, in memory of supporters, former players and club officials who have passed away in 2019.

This year Sunderland have lost former players Nigel Saddington, Willie McPheat, Ivor Broadis, Geoff Toseland, Harry Hood, John Dillon, Martin Harvey and FA Cup winner Billy Hughes.

Former coach Ian Ross, former assistant manager Ian McFarlane and human resources manager Mandy Goulde also passed away.

Kevin Phillips not the only legend Sunderland fans chanted for yesterday

On the hour mark, Sunderland fans first chanted Phillips' name and you could have been mistaken for thinking it was a call to replace Parkinson with the former forward.

Phillips, of course wanted the job, and they did actually call for him to replace Parkinson later in the game but the first time they chanted his name was the first in a series of chants paying homage to their former heroes.

As the class of 2019 struggled on the pitch, Black Cats fans chanted about the likes of Niall Quinn, Julio Arca and Gary Rowell as they remembered some of the better times from yesteryear. Few could blame them...

Ruben Sammut first of u23s Parkinson promised would be involved

Parkinson promised that some of Sunderland's under-23s stars would be included in some of his squads over the festive period and he made good on that promise yesterday.

Although he did not feature, former Chelsea youngster Ruben Sammut was named on the bench as he filled the gap vacated by the suspended George Dobson.

It was a blow for Dylan McGeouch that Sammut was included ahead of him and the Scotland international's days on Wearside appear to be numbered.

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