Wednesday, 24th September, 2014
Sunderland striker Jozy Altidore believes that his team have to be "collectively better" in order to compete for trophies this season.
The Black Cats saw their hopes of enjoying an extended League Cup run ended as they lost 2-1 to Stoke City at home last night.
Having managed to reach the final of the tournament the previous year, the result is particularly disappointing for Gus Poyet's side, who also have had a disappointing start to the league season, and are currently placed 17th in the table with four points from five matches.
Altidore for his part refuses to see the current situation as a crisis, but admits that rapid transformation is needed in order to progress.
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"Games we should win, we're not winning", the United States international was quoted as saying by ITV.
"It's something that we need to address now, or else it's inevitable that what happened last season – and the pressure – will come back.
"We deserve better – and it's not just saying, 'This guy is playing badly'. We need to be collectively better.
"We understand that, and we've got home games coming up where we've got the chance to do that."
The Black Cats host Swansea City next this weekend followed by a match against their League Cup conquerors Stoke City on 4th October.
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