Sunderland boss won't use depleted squad as excuse for defeat

Sunderland's results continue to suffer from a depleted squad - but David Moyes will not use it as an excuse.
David MoyesDavid Moyes
David Moyes

“We lost here a few weeks back and we find it diffficult against Burnley,” he said.

“I think we find it hard to cope with Burnley’s style more than anything, so we changed thing a little bit.

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“I thought we just about coped with it in the first half and it just unravelled a little bit just before half-time.

“Burnley got a couple of corners, one I didn’t think was a corner, and from that sort sort of time we lost a goal to Vokes just before the break.

“We shouldn’t have let the cross come in for the first goal, we gave it away right on half-time when it looked as if it looked as we’d go in 0-0.”

Moyes made only three changes to the team he sent out for the Premier League match with Burnley, Javier Manquillo, Billy Jones and debutant George Honeyman coming in for John O’Shea, the injured Jack Rodwell and Jermain Defoe.

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In the opposite dug-out, Clarets boss Sean Dyche was able to freshen up his side, he retained just three starters from their win over Southampton.

Moyes said he does not want to make excuses about the threadbare nature of his squad, though admits it’s a factor.

“I’ve not wanted to make any excuses,” he said. “I expect my players out there to play better.

“I don’t expect them to make the couple of mistakes they did leading up to the goals. But if I had other players available I could take a couple of lads out and put others in. At the moment I can’t do that.”

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“It’s been like this for three or four weeks, but I’ve tried not yto use that as an excuse.

“But it is a fact, we are finding it a struggle, it’s pretty much the same people [in the match day 18 every game].

“I have to say I thought George Honeyman came in and did well.”

Moyes rested Defoe to the bench, starting with Fabio Borini through the middle with Adnan Januzaj.

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Neither saw a real sight of goal, while Defoe barely saw the ball on his introduction from the bench for the final half an hour.

“We wanted to try tonight to see if we could get goals from Fabio or Adnan, which could boost them, give them a chance to help us,” said Moyes.