Sunderland are still looking for their first Premier League victory of the season.
Sunderland midfielder Jan Kirchhoff’s latest comments in the Chronicle are surely of some concern to David Moyes.
Kirchhoff was honest and scathing in his assessment of why Sunderland lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace at the weekend.
The Black Cats had a two-goal lead in the fixture, but they threw it away in the last half-hour to slip to a defeat.
And Kirchhoff has admitted that Sunderland had no clear game-plan when Palace started to get back into the match, with different members of the team adopting varying tactics.
“It feels as if we had two different ideas on the pitch, especially when it was 2-1,” Kirchhoff said.
“We really have to stay together and communicate better to get one clear idea about how we want to play a football game. We got that for a lot of the game – up until 2-0, we knew what we were doing. But we have to keep that clarity when the game gets more difficult.
“As a footballer, you have to be able to adapt to different situations. We needed a new plan.
“Everyone has to play a role in that. The people playing in the central positions are the guys who have to take most responsibility though. That means our centre-halves and our central midfielders – we are the guys who should be creating the plan and leading the team.”
The comments suggest a worrying lack of communication from manager to players at Sunderland.
Moyes is already under pressure at the Stadium of Light, as he is yet to win a Premier League match.
Sunderland are stuck at the foot of the table, and once again look set for a relegation battle.
The Black Cats are next in action at the weekend, when they take on West Bromwich Albion at the Stadium of Light.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
