ROBERTO MANCINI has been given the go-ahead to take Fabio Borini to Inter Milan and that could leave Sunderland even more frustrated on the transfer front.

Black Cats boss Dick Advocaat is desperate for some good news after a depressing start to the season.

Yesterday former Sunderland left-back Michael Gray had his say by directing a huge blast at the club by claiming, among other things, that he would only keep Lee Cattermole, Yann M’Vila and Costel Pantilimon if he had the choice.

Sunderland sit bottom of the early table after two matches, after conceding seven goals, and any hopes of a promising season following Advocaat’s decision to stay has quickly disappeared.

And with in-form Swansea’s free-flowing style expected to cause problems for Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, Advocaat must try to come up with a way of securing a surprise result.

He has held transfer talks with sporting director Lee Congerton on Sunday and needs more signings before the transfer window closes on September 1.

Sunderland, however, are trying to stick to Financial Fair Play rules and that would restrict further spending.

If Sunderland can somehow beat Inter Milan to the signature of Liverpool forward Borini then that would be on a season-long loan, although Advocaat will find it hard to lure players to Wearside after such an abysmal start to the campaign.

Gray, who played more than 350 games for his hometown club, said: “I couldn’t believe what I witnessed (against Norwich). I have seen some pretty inept performances over the last three years but that was the lowest of the low, it really was.

“I’m not saying I was brilliant every week because I wasn’t but what I would do is give 100 per cent. That is what the fans expect and when they don’t get that they give out a bit of criticism and the players can’t handle it.

“The shirt is too big for them. They are frightened to play at the Stadium of Light.”

Gray has urged American owner Ellis Short to start spending more cash. He suggested: “Ellis has got to invest money in the squad. The reason why Dick Advocaat is back at the football club is because he has been promised £50m.

“Well we have spent £8m of that and Connor Wickham has left for the same figure so we really haven’t spent any money in this transfer window.

“The TV rights for the next three years are around £150m – Ellis Short needs to go and spend it. For the last five years he has been lying to the fans.

“He has promised players every single transfer window, they haven’t come in, and the players that have been brought in have been has-beens.”

Gray, a three-time England international under Kevin Keegan, was willing to point the finger in his interview with TalkSport – and even singled out Jermain Defoe, who is believed to be interesting his former club Bournemouth.

“You bring in Sebastian Coates and Younes Kaboul from Liverpool and Tottenham respectively and they are not good enough. Patrick van Aanholt was absolutely horrendous at the weekend – I have never seen a performance like it in my life,” said Gray.

“Jermain Defoe - why leave the Premier League and go to Toronto? Because in the back of your mind you are thinking you couldn’t do it in the Premier League every week.

“What I saw at the weekend was so inept … half of the players I wouldn’t put in a Championship side. I don’t know how many I would keep. I think I would keep the goalkeeper, the two central midfield players, Lee Cattermole and Yann M’Vila, but the rest of them I wouldn’t give them the shirt on their back.”