Sunderland vs Burnley: Gus Poyet says game has to be Sunderland's turning point

Struggling sides meet at Stadium of Light

Jermain Defoe has joined Sunderland on a three-and-a-half year deal (Twitter/@SunderlandAFC)

Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has said there can be no more excuses for the team’s poor season and that Saturday’s home game against Burnley has to be a turning point.

Poyet is drawing games and losing supporters. Those fans had jeered last Saturday’s 0-0 home draw against Fulham in the FA Cup, the seventh goalless draw this season.

Sunderland have failed to score in five home games and not managed more than one goal at the Stadium of Light since the start of October. Defeat against Burnley would plunge them into the Premier League bottom three.

The supporters are unhappy, Poyet is prickly. The season’s complexion can change in a matter of games (Bradford await the winners of Tuesday’s FA Cup replay) but patience on all sides appears to have run out.

“Saturday’s game has to be the turning point,” said Poyet. “There are no more excuses with players coming and leaving or anything else like that. It’s just about us going in there with the group that we have and the performing and winning the game.

“We had some great moments at the Stadium of Light last season and it’s a great opportunity to start having that same kind of relationship again from here to the end of the season.”

New signing Jermain Defoe will be given his home Premier League debut. He will now be aware of just what rests on his shoulders.