North-East Team of the Season

GOALKEEPER

SIMON MIGNOLET (SUNDERLAND)

It says much about the fortunes of the North-East’s big three that each club’s best player this season has been their goalkeeper.

Tim Krul and Jason Steele have had excellent campaigns and can count themselves unlucky not to be in this team, but Simon Mignolet just gets the nod thanks to his consistency, ability and the fact he has played every minute of Sunderland’s league campaign.

The Belgian has produced some stellar saves this season, none better than the remarkable stop to keep out a Kevin Nolan volley against West Ham, and has cemented his status as one of the leading goalkeepers in the Premier League.

RIGHT-BACK

MATHIEU DEBUCHY (NEWCASTLE)

This has been a far from successful season for right-backs, hence the reason why Mathieu Debuchy makes the team even though he only signed for Newcastle in January.

Craig Gardner was his closest rival, but the Sunderland midfielder is not a natural right-back and has flitted in and out of the role. Danny Simpson has had his moments, but the right-hand side of Newcastle’s defence has looked much more solid since Debuchy arrived from Lille.

Defensively secure and always willing to attack on the overlap, the France international has settled best of Newcastle’s January signings.

CENTRE-HALF

STEVEN TAYLOR (NEWCASTLE)

He was injured for a sizeable chunk of the campaign, but Steven Taylor’s purple patch from the end of January onwards was still enough to make him the region’s leading centre-half.

His displays against Aston Villa and Chelsea in particular came at a crucial stage of Newcastle’s season, and earned him a deserved promotion to Roy Hodgson’s England squad.

His injury record remains a concern though, and keeping him fit could be the key to ensuring the Magpies’ defensive solidity next season.

CENTRE-HALF

JACK BALDWIN (HARTLEPOOL)

It has been a wretched season for Hartlepool, but the emergence of 19-year-old Jack Baldwin has provided a rare bright spark at Victoria Park.

The teenager has spent a large proportion of the season in central midfield, but John Hughes sees him as a defender and his most eye-catching performances have come at centre-half.

Boasting a maturity and assurance that belies his years, Baldwin is positionally sound, strong in the tackle and comfortable in possession. Holding on to him could be Hartlepool’s toughest task.

LEFT-BACK

DANNY ROSE (SUNDERLAND)

Danny Rose arrived at Sunderland with a lofty reputation given his position in the England under-21 team, and he has more than lived up to his billing since making a loan move from Spurs.

For much of the campaign, the 22-year-old was the Black Cats’ best player, defending stoutly and providing some much-needed pace and energy whenever he was given licence to attack.

His future remains uncertain, but Paolo Di Canio will be doing everything he can to persuade Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas to agree to a permanent transfer this summer.

MIDFIELD

YOHAN CABAYE (NEWCASTLE)

Like the majority of his Newcastle team-mates, Yohan Cabaye has been unable to scale the heights he reached last season. However, with most of the region’s midfielders having struggled this term, he retains his place in the Northern Echo team.

He started the season reasonably strongly, scoring goals against Sunderland and Liverpool, but suffered a groin injury that disrupted his campaign.

He returned to produce a man-of-the-match display in January’s crucial win at Aston Villa, and chipped in with further goals in the equally significant successes against Southampton and Stoke.

MIDFIELD

GRANT LEADBITTER (MIDDLESBROUGH)

Cheik Tiote’s form has deserted him, while Lee Cattermole has been injured for the vast majority of the season, so Grant Leadbitter stands out as the region’s best-performing holding midfielder.

He was a key component of Middlesbrough’s fine form in the first half of the season, winning tackles, effectively rotating possession and providing a successful shield in front of the back four.

His set-piece delivery has been consistently impressive all campaign - something that has not been the case at Newcastle and Sunderland - and he has missed just two league matches all season.

MIDFIELD

MOUSSA SISSOKO (NEWCASTLE)

Moussa Sissoko has probably only produced three or four stand-out performances since moving to the North-East in January, but in a disappointing campaign all round, that is enough to secure him a place in this team.

His debut at Aston Villa was hugely impressive, and he followed it up with a remarkable performance against Chelsea that saw him score two goals, including an 89th-minute winner.

His more recent performances have dipped somewhat, but Alan Pardew has not been playing him in his preferred position, a situation that will surely be rectified next season.

ATTACKING MIDFIELD

STEPHANE SESSEGNON (SUNDERLAND)

For a large chunk of the season, Stephane Sessegnon flattered to deceive, but the Benin international has rediscovered his best form at the pivotal moment and is a key reason why Sunderland now look like retaining their top-flight status.

November’s long-range screamer at Fulham was a rare high point in the first half of the campaign, but Sessegnon has enjoyed a much more productive spring, with his movement and dribbling ability enhancing his side’s threat.

He was Sunderland’s best performer in this month’s unforgettable 3-0 win at Newcastle, and produced another captivating display in last weekend’s crucial win over Everton.

CENTRE-FORWARD

PAPISS CISSE (NEWCASTLE)

He was eclipsed by Demba Ba in the first half of the season and grew frustrated at his enforced move to the flank, but Papiss Cisse will still end the campaign having scored Newcastle’s most crucial goals.

Most came in the last minute of a game, with his stoppage-time strikes against Stoke and Fulham preventing a bad situation on Tyneside becoming infinitely worse.

He also scored a last-minute European winner against Anzhi Makhchakala, and exited the Europa League as the key figure from Newcastle’s continental campaign.

CENTRE-FORWARD

STEVEN FLETCHER (SUNDERLAND)

Martin O’Neill didn’t do a lot right during his time as Sunderland manager, but his decision to spend £12m on Steven Fletcher proved to be a masterstroke.

The Scotland international made an instant impact, scoring six goals in his opening five Premier League outings even though the rest of the Black Cats line-up was hardly firing on all cylinders.

Perhaps predictably, he has been unable to maintain that level of success, but he will still end the campaign with 11 Premier League goals to his name, a more than acceptable return.

MANAGER

PAOLO DI CANIO (SUNDERLAND)

He was only appointed a month ago, but Paolo Di Canio has already turned Sunderland upside down, guiding his team six points clear of the drop zone and re-energising a support base that had grown thoroughly disillusioned.

His appointment was mired in controversy, and the debate over his political views could undoubtedly have been handled better.

But there is no doubting the immediacy of his impact or the positive effect of his unorthodox methods. Whether he can sustain the feel-good factor over the course of a whole season, however, remains to be seen.

SUBSTITUTES

Jason Steele (Middlesbrough), George Friend (Middlesbrough), Jack Colback (Sunderland), Sylvain Marveaux (Newcastle), Luke James (Hartlepool), Demba Ba (Newcastle), Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough)