Two photos that sum up Sam Allardyce’s frustration

Sunderland had no answer to Manchester City on Saturday and manager Sam Allardyce says results must turn quickly to avoid relegation. They haven’t won either. “We’ve got to try our best not to be in a position where we have to win four of the last six games”.

Following the City clash, Sunderland are at home to Liverpool on December 30 before a crucial game against fellow strugglers Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light on January 2.

“We’ve got to get back to being a resilient defensive unit… but the backline and the goalkeeper have to be the ones that ultimately secure those clean sheets, so a defender’s my first priority, a central defender”.

“We started slowly”, he said.

‘Whether we can find one good enough is another matter.

At 36, Brown may struggle to play two games in the space of three days – and Big Sam has left the door open for Beadling to be involved against Villa if that is the case, although he will only go down that route if he has no other alternative.

“Whether they play (Christian) Benteke from the start or whether it’s (Divock) Origi, I don’t know, but we have to deal with what is a quite talented front line”.

“Sometimes young lads go in and play without fear, but playing a young centre-half is not like bringing a youngster like Duncan Watmore into the team further forward”.

As a result, they are firmly in “trouble”, sitting second-from-bottom in the standings and five points from safety.

‘They have got to release themselves from the fear they are showing. Danny Graham and Steve Fletcher had excellent chances against City, one free header, one shot from six yards out and both missed the target.

He is keen to play against his former club on Wednesday, adding: “I always want to play each game”.

“Liverpool are a great team”.

“We need to do it now”. Despite that, Allardyce may take heart in the fact that Liverpool were not at their best against Watford or Leicester (despite getting three points), and have shown that an organised defence can blunt their attack with relative ease once they manage to shut down Philippe Coutinho.

“We have to change the intensity and press”.