OVER the next 36 hours Dick Advocaat will be waiting for transfer updates, hoping to hear that two more signings have arrived at the Stadium of Light.

A new striker is a priority and an extra defensive option is essential after a summer in which six new faces have already joined a Sunderland squad which has once again had a significant share of problems in the opening few weeks of the campaign.

For the fifth year in a row the Black Cats have failed to win any of their opening four Premier League fixtures, despite a summer which started with higher hopes after Advocaat masterminded a survival act.

Now, once more, they find themselves heading into the final hours of the transfer window banking on the couple of signings that could improve the situation at a time when many already have them down as relegation fodder.

If Advocaat gets his wish for two ‘quality’ signings then he will have no excuses. Predecessor Gus Poyet, speaking yesterday on Sky, suggested it will be hard as Sunderland often end up “with players that nobody else wants” because of history and location.

As things stand it is hard to disagree. Sunderland, somehow, have to change all that or the next man to follow Advocaat in to the head coach’s office next summer could have an even harder job to attract top talents – because the club could be in the Championship.

That is why small steps are pretty big at the moment. It was satisfying for Sunderland to leave Villa Park with a point rather than dwell on a fourth successive league fixture without a win.

Aston Villa still scored two goals against Advocaat’s leaky defence – taking the tally to 13 in five games – but there was a greater sense of togetherness for the second week in a row.

This time Younes Kaboul, a £4m signing from Tottenham who has been hammered after a dreadful start to life on Wearside, offered hints of why he represented France and stayed in the Premier League for the last eight years.

He was on the end of crosses into the Sunderland box, made numerous blocks and looked like he was working in tandem with John O’Shea. If the pairing develops that should build confidence from the back.

Advocaat said: “I was not happy with the central defenders and I think Kaboul did really well. He’s a good player. He needs a little bit of time. I felt the combination out there.

“Sebastian Coates did really well last season, so I thought I’d start with the youngsters this time around, they can do it, but that did not work out.

“You also have to remember with the fitness of Kaboul, he had a problem with his knee so he did not train totally. But he did really well here and hopefully that will continue.”

After Yann M’Vila had curled the most beautiful of free-kicks around the Villa wall from 25 yards into Brad Guzan’s top left corner following a foul on Danny Graham, Sunderland had the lead and looked bright.

But Lee Cattermole’s dreadful decision to climb on Scott Sinclair in the area less than two minutes later handed the initiative back to the home side. Sinclair drilled the penalty over the line by sending Costel Pantilimon the wrong way.

For the remainder of the half the Villans had control, with the brilliant Idrissa Gana a real menace in midfield and full-back Jordan Amavi causing regular problems for Billy Jones down the Sunderland right.

And it was former Lille man Gana’s incisive pass behind Jones which allowed Amavi to deliver the perfect cross for Sinclair to convert from six yards four minutes before half-time.

Cattermole and Graham were put out of their misery at that point when Ola Toivonen, signed from Rennes last week, was introduced along with Steven Fletcher at half-time and the changes had an immediate effect.

Fletcher had a header saved and within six minutes of the restart Toivonen won possession in the middle and fed Jeremain Lens down the right. The Dutchman cut inside Cieran Clark before his shot took a touch off Micah Richards and landed in the net.

“The goals we score ... we scored eight goals in a week ... but on the other hand we gave some chances away as well,” said Advocaat. “We have to improve that as a team, not by one player, but as a team. Everyone has to stick to his task. If one or two are not doing it 100 per cent then you have a problem.”

But after watching Aston Villa push on in search of a winner, Sunderland could easily have lost. Pantilimon made a brilliant save from Ashley Westwood, while Richards somehow stopped Sinclair from completing a hat-trick with a goal-line clearance at the wrong end.

Advocaat said: “We’ve brought good players in like M’Vila and Lens, that’s why we brought them. Hopefully over the next couple of days something more will happen. The way we play, we have some ideas about that.

“We’re bottom. For us, it’s important to stay as close to the other teams. It is a concern but other teams have concerns. I’m definitely still confident things can improve.”