DICK ADVOCAAT has called criticism of Ellis Short unfair – but has again put pressure on the Sunderland chairman to invest in the squad.

The Black Cats picked up their first point of the season at home to Swansea City with a much-improved performance at the Stadium of Light, but the head coach repeated his warning that another relegation battle is inevitable if there is no further investment.

"I think it is unfair to criticise him on things he did not say,” said Advocaat, after Sunderland came from behind against the Swans to record a decent 1-1 draw. “That man gives a lot of money and everybody is criticising him. It would be fair if he had told me I would get £100million, but he didn't.

“He just said we have to improve the team. He is trying that, but not on a level that everyone expected.

"If we don't get players in then we will have almost the same players as last year. We definitely need players.”

Short said he was ‘upset and angry’ in his programme notes on Saturday after a start to the season which has seen Sunderland lose their first two games comprehensively, firstly to Leicester City, and then a 3-1 reverse at home to newly-promoted Norwich a week ago.

The Texan billionaire also admitted that the responsibility for Sunderland’s current predicament rests on his shoulders – but denied that he lacked ambition.

“It goes without saying that no one is happy with our start to the season. We are upset and angry,” said Short.

“No one who knows me or knows anything about me would say that I have no ambition for the club. That ambition certainly has not been realised yet, but it does not mean that I don’t have it.

“The assertion that I have been unwilling to spend money to fulfil the ambitions of the club and its fans is completely wrong. Every penny that comes from TV income and other commercial activities is spent on operating the club – that is, buying players, wages and other associated costs.

“I have never taken money out of the club. In fact, I have funded significant shortfalls each and every season. The amount that I fund, every season, exceeds the collective total amount funded by every owner Sunderland has ever had since the club was formed in 1879. I have done this willingly as I want us to be more than a club that simply exists in the top flight.”

One of the key positions that Sunderland need to address is left-back, with current incumbent Patrick van Aanholt looking woefully inadequate at present.

Advocaat added: “We need two or three in good positions to get more competition in the squad, that's important.

"A player can think, 'it doesn't matter how I play, I will play next week', so you need competition in the games, but also in training so they don't feel it is easy. For some it is easy. I was happy with how the players played.

“The only weak point is they cannot do that every week. Sometimes you have to do it with skill like Swansea did, but that takes quality."