Alex Neil's message, delivered in the wake of Tuesday's friendly defeat at Bradford City, could hardly be more clear. "I don't want to do my business on the last day in August – I want to get my business done as quickly as possible," said a frustrated Neil.
But with just ten days to go before Sunderland kick-off their Championship campaign against Coventry City in front of the TV cameras at the Stadium of Light, time is running out as far as having a fully-formed squad, ready to go from the off, is concerned. Four new recruits have arrived, two of whom - widemen Leon Dajaku and Jack Clarke - joined on a permanent basis after spending last season here on loan, while defenders Dan Ballard annd Aji Alese have also signed.
Yet the squad remains weaker than it was at the end of May, both in terms of numbers and in terms of the gaps that need to be filled. On a simple head-count alone, Sunderland are five men down.
