SUNDERLANDâS squad boasts some strength in depth after the end of their summer recruitment drive, says Gus Poyet. The Black Cats have completed yet another close season of hectic business after concluding the transfer window with nine fresh faces among their ranks after losing 16 players since the end of last season. Ideally, Poyet would have liked another two players on board - an extra forward and a centre-half - but the head coach is content with the work done by the club during the summer. Poyet believes the quality in his ranks runs far deeper than last season and that is testified by the strength of Sunderlandâs bench, with a couple of first-teamers facing the disappointment of not even being included among the substitutes for todayâs visit of Spurs. He told the Echo: âI think the bench lately has been great for me - knowing I can change things, with different qualities. âThere were many games last year when the options on the bench were just natural. You knew who was going to play before the game started. âNow we can have different options. âJordi Gomez was close to playing every single game (this season) and then at QPR, he didnât play. âBut I thought in that particular game - right or wrong - that we needed more mobility and (Emanuele) Giaccherini would give me something different to Jordi. âThen we lost. Does that mean it was wrong? You can say yes, but I think not. âBut of course, Iâve got Jordi in my mind all the time because I know what he can bring to us.â Poyet says the equation for determining his team selection will be simple - a winning formula is unlikely to be altered. He added: âI think the important message for the players is that if the team clicks like last year after Man City and theyâre in it, then theyâre in. âThereâs nothing thatâs going to get them out. âThatâs the challenge for the players. Theyâve got to think: âIâm going to be in that team thatâs going to win an important game and then going to play the next gameâ. âThen theyâll play in the important games, on the important nights. âIâm sure we will get that from this group of players - that commitment and consideration about the team-mates around. âItâs a fair battle. âIn terms of the behaviour and the understanding of the group, thatâs much better this year.â
You look at the bench now tees and know we have a couple there who can change the game. In previous seasons it's been only bring them on in the event of injuries to the first eleven. We need ES to back Gus in the next two windows and LG to do his job bringing the necessary quality players we need and it's looking very good imo.
