SAM ALLARDYCE will make improving Sunderland’s defence his number one priority as he attempts to guide his new club out of the Premier League relegation zone as quickly as possible.

Allardyce presided over his first press conference as Black Cats boss earlier this afternoon and immediately identified his club’s leaking backline as the key problem he has to address ahead of Saturday’s game at West Brom.

Sunderland have conceded 18 goals in their opening eight Premier League matches, with their displays having been littered with individual errors and collective mistakes.

Allardyce has already been poring over the tapes of the Black Cats’ performances to date, and while there is not a lot he can do in terms of changing the defensive personnel who have been found wanting, he is confident of being able to organise his side so they are much harder to break down.

“There is obviously one thing I need to put right as quickly as possible, and that is not conceding 18 goals in the next eight games,” said the new Sunderland boss. “That’s obviously something we need to address immediately.

“We need to make sure as a team we become more resilient. In the last game, to be 2-0 up at home to West Ham and still not achieve a result is something that is very disappointing. That would have been the first win and it would have given us an extra two points.

“After a good performance (in the first half), the frailties cropped up again. I have to try to sort that out and make sure the next time we go 2-0 up, we get the three points.”

Allardyce refused to be drawn on whether he would be looking to add to his squad immediately, with free agents Kevin Nolan, Carlton Cole, Ricardo Vaz Te, Morgan Amalfitano and Ron Vlaar all having been linked with a possible move to the Stadium of Light.

He will begin planning for the January window as quickly as possible, with Ellis Short expected to make significant funds available, but insists his overriding priority is to make a quick assessment of the players under his control.

“Assessing the squad here is the most important thing I have to do,” said Allardyce. “Can I make it better or more efficient? There’s a lot of Premier League experience here, can I help the players apply that Premier League experience as a team?

“Can I guide them in a better way to make sure that helps the other players who have come in, who don’t have as much experience of the Premier League?

“We seem to have goals in the camp – Steven Fletcher seems to be scoring quite regularly. And Jermain Defoe can score as well. We have Fabio Borini to consider, and hopefully we can score a few goals off set plays too. If we can keep that going, and sort out the defensive side, then we should be okay.”