Former Sunderland Boss Dick Advocaat has suggested that the club could in fact benefit from being relegated from the Premier League this season, suggesting they should follow in bitter rivals Newcastle's footsteps.
Current boss David Moyes has endured a torrid time at the Stadium of Light since his arrival at the club in the summer, having won just once in the club's opening 11 games, and controversially admitted at the start of the season that the side would be in another relegation battle come May.
Despite improvements being made to the performances week by week and Moyes looking to become very active in the January transfer window, Advocaat claimed relegation could bethe best solution for the club's problems.
"Maybe it's better to go down, to build a new team like Newcastle who have a great club, a great fan base and a great stadium just like Sunderland,� said Advocaat according tothe Mirror.
Energetic, obsessive, relentless, free...
And no, that's not how David Moyes is described, funnily enough https://t.co/oPVQSYLWG9
Sunderland simply cannot go on this way because other clubs invest in the team, they spend money on good players and, if you don't do it, you are in trouble because there's too much quality elsewhere in the Premier League to expect to survive every year.�
However, the Dutch coach believes that progress won't be made at the club unless owner Ellis Short matches the spending of other clubs, stating: "You can only define ÂSunderland's problems if they spend the same as other clubs and they don't do that.
"You can't do that every season, it's just not possible “ because, sooner or later, your luck is going to run out.�