AFTER an eighth defeat from the opening 12 games of the season, it must be hard for supporters of Sunderland to find anything but negatives ahead of another relegation battle and question marks over the direction of the club.

Not even the team flight back from Southampton on Wednesday night got off the ground because of the fog. Instead the players had to stay on the south coast hold a recovery session yesterday morning before returning later in the day.

Fans are wondering when owner Ellis Short will make an appearance at the Stadium of Light again, will it be for this Saturday’s visit of Arsenal when the Black Cats need to conjure up something magnificent in a bid just to give everyone a lift?

Short is seeking investment, possibly even a sale if the right offer comes along, and there has been contact with a Chinese consortium, or two. Nothing is imminent, however, and Sunderland are in need of a lift and quickly, or they will be cast adrift at the foot of the Premier League table before December has even arrived.

David Moyes, the manager who expected more before the transfer window closed, has already come under fire from sections for some of his decisions and signings. Questions such about the £8m spent on Papy Djilibodji or the £16m for Didier Ndong? And what was his thinking behind some substitutions? Or playing Paddy McNair as a winger on Wednesday?

He has his reasons for them all. And Sunderland’s players, though, cannot be accused of giving up in the games so far. The 1-0 defeat at Southampton in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night was the sixth time this season they have been beaten by just a single goal.

There is just a sense that they lack the extra bit of Premier League quality to get things going because the players have worked hard to try to address the slump; highlighted in each of the last two defeats at West Ham and St Mary’s when they could have claimed at least a draw.

Duncan Watmore, the young forward who is having to play more regularly than Moyes would have envisaged this season, said: “It’s hard when you’re losing but there were positives at Southampton.

“We felt like we had chances and on another day we could have got a penalty, we hit the post (through McNair), there’s things that could have happened. Sofiane Boufal has put one in the top corner that you can’t do anything about, so it could have been different.

“I think you’ve got to look at the positives, look at what you’re doing right and make sure that the things you’re doing wrong, you try and eliminate them from the next game and build on the positives. As a team if you have that mentality you can improve.

“We’re definitely more solid and that’s a team effort, it’s not just the defence, it’s everyone. Everyone’s got to work hard to defend and we defend as a team.”

Yet despite signs of positivity, the fear is that Sunderland just don’t have the players capable of winning the games to climb away from trouble this time around. The situation is clearly not helped by the lengthy injury list, which includes important midfielders Jan Kirchhoff and Lee Cattermole as well as Fabio Borini and Seb Larsson.

All of those have been part of Sunderland squads in the past that have turned things around and Watmore was heavily involved in the second half of last season’s successful turnaround.

The 22-year-old, the sensible young man asked to front up to the media, said: “I definitely feel like I’ve got an important part to play. I’ve experienced it and I know I can help the team and offer them my services through what I do on the pitch. I know I’ve got to keep playing to the best of my ability and if my game can help the team, that’s fantastic.

“I’ve got a bit of experience – hardly anything because I’m still a young player – but I’m trying to take that and I’m always trying to improve as a player because I’m still young and I’m still learning a lot.

“I’m trying to take everything I can on board from the coaches and the other players to become a better player and help the team.”

There is an acceptance among the players that Sunderland need to find that winning formula quickly to avoid playing Championship football next season.

Watmore said: “We need to change it quick and we know that. That’s what we’re going to try and do. We need to keep doing the right things, keep working hard on the training pitch and make sure we’re giving everything on the pitch. That’s what we know we’re doing but we’ve got to make sure something changes and changes quick and we get that result that can kickstart our season.

“Whoever you play, you’ve got to play the opposition in front of you to the best of your ability. We’ll try and do that on Saturday against Arsenal and hopefully we can give the fans something to cheer about.

“Sometimes you need that luck when you’re down there but you’ve got to earn that luck by doing the right things, being positive and working hard.”

Moyes has been charged by the Football Association following his sending off at St Mary’s for leaving his technical area and swearing at the fourth official.

He faces a touchline ban for his actions after he was frustrated by a decision not to award Sunderland a late penalty when Victor Anichebe was fouled by Maya Yoshida.