Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat shared his satisfaction for the Black Cats' point with Aston Villa on Saturday.

Sunderland get the point

Yann M’Vila gave the North-East club the lead before a Scott Sinclair brace saw them behind at the break. Advocaat’s eleven vastly improved in the second period and managed to level things up through Jeremain Lens.

Advocaat pleased

The Dutch coach was “pleased” to get the point and said his side worked “very hard” to get it.  He believed that Sunderland “started well” but it was a “difficult” game that Villa “dominated” and “controlled”.

Defence still a concern

Their 1-1 draw means that Sunderland are currently unbeaten in their last three matches but Advocaat admitted that once again that their defensive frailties were a concern.

Advocaat said that the “biggest problem” was that not everyone does their duties “defensively”.

Cattermole was a disappointment

Vice-captain, Lee Cattermole, has had a poor start to the season conceding the penalty in the 4-2 opening day defeat and his manhandling of Sinclair resulted in the same outcome; which forced Advocaat to bring off the holding midfielder at half-time.

He refused to openly criticise the midfielder after his heroics last season on Sunderland’s road to survival, however he did admit that the 27-year-old can’t afford to keep making these particular errors.

Advocaat said that there is “no need” to concede those types of penalties, he went on to say that he would never say a “bad word” about Cattermole as he was “brilliant” in the final matches of the season but at the present these mistakes are “not good”.

New signings on the horizon

Saturday’s match saw the introduction of new signing Ola Toivonen and Advocaat is hopeful that more new faces will arrive on Wearside before the transfer window slams shut on Tuesday.

Advocaat said that new faces have already been brought and that hopefully they will be more over the “next few days”.

Sunderland will return after the international fixtures with a home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, August 13.