GUSTAVO POYET insists that his Sunderland project is far from complete after ending his first full year in charge at the Stadium of Light in positive mood.

Twelve months ago the Uruguayan was given the tough task of reviving the Black Cats after Paolo Di Canio’s six month reign had left a squad shorn of confidence and rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.

Poyet has since gone about repairing the fractures which existed and in guiding Sunderland away from relegation last April, he is keen for his team to avoid a repeat of last season’s frustrations.

The start to the new campaign has hardly been impressive, however. A squad struggling to score goals finally earned a first league win in seven by defeating Stoke City on Saturday, when the relief was clear on the manager’s face in the technical area on Wearside.

That victory lifted Sunderland up to 13th and four points clear of the bottom three, which is still comfortably short of where Poyet wants. Despite seeing signs of progress in the way the team plays under him these days, he is far from satisfied.

“I don’t think we are more than halfway in terms of the development I would like, that’s for sure,” said Poyet. “I don’t. I believe there are plenty of things that we need to improve, first as a team. That’s the main part. For the rest of the club, we’ve got more time.”

One of the biggest problems Poyet inherited from the Di Canio regime was a lack of togetherness in the squad. Even, though, there was a player revolt against the Italian’s leadership, a lack of unity inside the dressing room last October stunned Poyet when he took over.

He has worked hard to try to address that issue and feels Sunderland are in a better position to move forward than they were then, suggesting he can sense a greater camaraderie among the group of players he has working under him.

“We can’t just scrap it, throw it away how we were feeling,” said Poyet. “It was there, and it’s about feeling better. Now the feeling, even without a win before Saturday, is a bit better. The way we play, everything, it feels better. When we go to the hotel, when we are having dinner, it feels better. I can tell you a hundred things. How long the players stay at the table after dinner; little things like that.

“The players are sharing different things that previously ... everybody was disappearing to their rooms. That helps, because then in the team you are playing with someone next to you who you trust. That brings the team together.

“That’s why, for me, it was important in the cup last season. Those celebrations after the games, important games, brought us together. Now, it’s a little bit more natural.”

After losing his first match in charge at Swansea 4-0, Poyet’s first season had numerous peaks and troughs in form and it had looked as if a run to the Capital One Cup final at Wembley would be ruined by relegation to the Championship.

In the end such a threat was eradicated and, after a busy summer on the transfer front, Poyet thinks he can find greater continuity after winning for the first time this season and planning for the trip to Southampton on October 18.

“It doesn’t seem like a year ago that I took over,” said Poyet. “It seems like we’ve been here seven years already. We’ve played more games, and had too many ups and downs.

“I think this year has been more consistent already. OK, we would like consistency a little bit higher but it’s been better. It’s been better. And that’s the feeling. You know when we always talk about a feeling.

“You can be playing all right but if you lose every game, it doesn’t matter how you’re feeling because that was my feeling last year when we were losing. I was watching the games again and the difference was an own goal, a decision. We didn’t take one chance.”

Poyet has handed Sunderland youngster Martin Smith an extension to his contract. The 19-year-old is now tied to the club until the summer of 2016.