Gus Poyet: I will win over Sunderland team to beat relegation

New Black Cats manager pledges side should be 'comfortable' to perform – unlike under Paolo Di Canio

Gus Poyet is unveiled as Sunderland manager: ‘It is going to be difficult but I am convinced we have a big chance of staying up’ (Getty Images)

Gus Poyet has said he will not adopt the confrontational policy of former Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio that provoked a player rebellion that led to the Italian's sacking.

Poyet has been officially unveiled as Di Canio's successor, signing a two-year contract, and he insisted he believes that the club – who are bottom of the Premier League with just one point from seven games – can be saved from relegation.

"I try to make it easy for the players to go on to the pitch and feel comfortable, without excuses," he said. "I want to make them go on to the pitch and perform to their best, so that there are no doubts in their mind. We have to make sure we use their strength. There are players with plenty of quality here.

"I wasn't here so I don't know what happened [under Di Canio] and I didn't ask the chief executive [Margaret Byrne]. It's up to me now. I know there are going to be different characters and different players and different ways. It's up to me and I need to know them. If I am good enough, it is not going to be a problem."

The former Brighton manager arrives at the Stadium of Light with Sunderland having gone through six managers in the last five years and Poyet said it was important to bring some stability to the club. "I don't try to be anyone else, I told [club owner and chairman Ellis Short] the truth, I am honest and then we go from there. It was clear that this was nothing to do with Paolo, this was about the future. Together we need to work well. This a great opportunity for me to show what I can do."

The club's development coach, Kevin Ball, had been placed in temporary charge after Di Canio's dismissal and will form part of Poyet's coaching team. But the former Tottenham and Chelsea player, 45, who was sacked by Brighton in June for an undisclosed breach of club discipline, will bring in Mauricio Taricco and Charlie Oatway, who worked with him at the Championship club, as part of his back-room staff

"For a player, if you have a manager at the start of the season, then an interim manager for two weeks and then a new one, it is never easy," Poyet said. "They have been getting different information from different people. I just ask them to believe and be really open-minded in the beginning.

"They need to take it on board very quickly. And understand what we need to do. Those who do it quickest stand a greater chance of playing. It's about knowing about everything we need to do on the pitch, to commit to the cause and we need to do it quickly. That's the most difficult part.

"It is going to be difficult. If you look at the table from the weekend, it's not nice. It makes me committed I want to do the right things. The best managers make the best decisions. Time will tell. I am convinced we have a big chance of staying in the Premier League."