Alex Neil insists he 'can't knock on the door any more' than he has already to press the case for Sunderland to bring in reinforcements this month as a matter of urgency. The Black Cats have brought in seven signings already - including two players who were on loan with the Wearsiders last season - but after a summer exodus of men deemed surplus to requirements, Neil's squad remains light on numbers and with little or no cover in some key positions.
Neil has largely taken a patient approach up to now but, with a couple of injuries - including to new addition Dan Ballard, who is expected to be out for around eight weeks with a fractured foot - reducing his options, and with the transfer deadline just over a fortnight away, it is clear he needs new recruits sooner rather than later. Prior to the injury to Ballard, Neil had said that he wanted 'four or five' more signings before the window closes.
And, asked this morning whether he has been knocking on owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus' door, Neil said: "I can't knock on the door any more. There's probably no door any more - I've probably bust it down!
