David Moyes has let rip at his Sunderland players this week and “taken no prisoners.”
The new manager appointed in July after Sam Allardyce left for his brief spell as England boss spent the first few weeks of his reign encouraging and cajoling his players into the new season.
But boss Moyes has changed tactics after they threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 against Crystal Palace last weekend — a result which means a club that's spent the last four seasons fighting relegation battles still hasn't won a league game in August or September since 2012.
Striker Victor Anichebe has revealed Moyes, who he played for at Everton, has been “hammering” his players this week, after ordering them to “take responsibility” for their failings.
Moyes has a reputation as a strict disciplinarian and hard task-master, and his bottom of the table squad are now feeling the full force.
Anichebe says it has been back to basics, in a bid to alleviate their growing crisis against his previous employers West Brom this weekend.
The Nigeria international, signed as a free-agent earlier this month after his deal at The Hawthorns expired, said: “The gaffer is not taking any prisoners now. He is getting into everyone.
“He is back to the way he used to be. He is hammering into us about shape, and defending, and the basics of football. We have to do the ground work before anything else.
In pictures — Sunderland 2-3 Crystal Palace:
“Fans are frustrated. People can think we don’t care. That kind of defeat is not nice. We dug in so well and then lost it at the final whistle. It was stupid. A sickening defeat.
“All the boys have been on a (fitness) regime. He says we need to work harder and run more. We can improve as a whole and it will get better.”
Sunderland have lost on-loan Manchester United forward Adnan Januzaj for six weeks with an ankle injury following the Palace game, and Anichebe is hoping to pair up with England striker Jermain Defoe in attack - starting with Saturday's home game against his old Baggies team-mates.
The 28-year-old said: “We have had some training games, young v old and I have been the big one and him the small one and we have linked up well. Some of his finishes are good to watch.
“But we have options to have different shapes. Playing with Jermain is good and it can be a different combination.”