GUS POYET has flagged up Will Buckley’s performance as the biggest positive to emerge from Saturday’s goalless draw with Swansea City, and praised the winger for slotting straight into life in the Premier League.

Buckley made only his second top-flight start as Sunderland recorded their fifth draw from the opening six matches at the weekend, and repeatedly caught the eye with a series of incisive surges down the right-hand side.

His approach play might not have resulted in a goal, but it helped create the majority of the Black Cats’ most threatening moments, and it would be a surprise if the 24-year-old did not retain his place in the starting line-up when the Wearsiders entertain Stoke City on Saturday.

Having coveted Buckley from the moment he was appointed as Sunderland’s head coach, Poyet was always confident the winger could cope with the step up to the Premier League. However, even he has been surprised by the speed of his summer signing’s development.

“He looked excellent,” said Poyet. “He is the type of player who can excite the fans and you want to see on a pitch. He has been really good. He has adapted to the Premier League in two minutes and I am very pleased with him.

“You will see what he does, and he is not going to try things he can’t do. He is not going to be doing overhead kicks, great headers, but he will run with the ball and create problems and get people booked. He is difficult to stop.”

One of the most positive aspects of Buckley’s weekend display was the way in which he dovetailed with right-back Billy Jones, who was making his first Premier League start following a summer move from West Brom.

The pair combined effectively on the right-hand side, and with Santiago Vergini having produced a solid display after he was moved infield to centre-half, Jones looks set for an extended run in the full-back berth.

“Billy had a great game and gave us plenty of options going forward,” said Poyet. “He is quick and powerful. He knows English football. Santiago played as a centre-half, he was strong and competed and gave us quality on the ball. Overall, there were plenty of positives.”

The major negative, of course, was Sunderland’s failure to score, and as he turns his attention towards Saturday’s home meeting with Stoke, Poyet accepts he will have to focus on enhancing his side’s attacking threat.

“Planning for the future and looking at the team, (Saturday) was the performance I want,” he said. “For the first time in a few games, it really worked on the pitch. The players had confidence in what we do.

“We tried. We put the ball in the box more than ever. We crossed it, and I don’t know how many corners and free-kicks (we won). This is us at the moment, but we need to go to the next level, which is scoring and winning the game.

“In the last two games, we didn’t score. You need to be competitive, organised and difficult to beat, but of course you also need to be creating chances.”