David Moyes says he will be given time to put the wheels back on Sunderland ’s season – as he gave his players a dose of real life at the local Nissan factory.
The Black Cats' boss took his squad to the car plant to show his bottom of the table stars a winning team.
Manager Moyes has the full backing of MD Martin Bain despite still being winless in the league after 10 matches; and the duo have been ordered to make the club as efficient and successful as their neighbours at Nissan, who complete a car every minute .
Nissan employs 7,000 workers and support 27,000 supply-chain jobs, and Moyes said: “It is important the players see what success looks like, in a work sense.
“All the people are really supportive. Everywhere I go, that is what I get. People who are understanding of the situation and what we are trying to do.
“And that is at the club as well. Yes. At the club everyone is very good as well.
“I want them to go away and realise how lucky they are. How they have a talent, and not to waste it — hang on and fight for everything you can.
“For all we have pressure that goes with not doing well, all these boys on the factory-floor would love to be running out there at Bournemouth on Saturday.”
Moyes is putting together a long-term plan to steer Sunderland to safety, but his side have yet to get out of first gear.
Moyes said: “Seeing this is overwhelming. Mind-blowing. The robots, the workers, the production line. Most importantly what a workforce, showing us you need a team to get to the end goal.
“We have to make the players realise where people in this part of the country work. Where our fans work — we have a lot of new players. We are building a team.
“They have to know where the supporters come from, where they work, the hours they work — in there from 7 til 3, three til 11 — long-night shift. Relentless work. It is where our fans come from.
“We are not doing very well at the moment so we have to be out there showing people we are doing the best we can.
“The teamwork is unbelievable. They are efficient.
"Nissan have built this plant over years and added and added more on to it. They are building bigger parts now, bigger cars, more cars.
"There is a lesson for us there.”