VICTOR ANICHEBE has revealed how David Moyes is showing his nasty side in a bid to get Sunderland on track in the Premier League after a dreadful start to the campaign.

Away from the field of play, Moyes has also had to deal with a number of problems since taking over from Sam Allardyce in the summer and the last fortnight has been no different.

It emerged yesterday the doctor at the centre of the Patrick van Aanholt saga earlier this month has resigned from his post. It is understood head of medical services, Dr Ishtiaq Rehman, has decided to part company amicably as part of an ongoing review of staffing.

News of his departure has arrived after Moyes was left stunned at having to withdraw van Aanholt from the Sunderland team to face Tottenham at White Hart Lane on September 18 on the advice of a cardiac specialist.

The Black Cats boss expressed frustration at the timing, shortly before kick-off, in the belief it had come from the Football Association’s consensus panel, a claim swiftly denied by the governing body. It has since emerged there was a miscommunication problem between the medical staff and Moyes.

Van Aanholt, 26, has played in the two matches since against Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace and expects to be involved against West Brom tomorrow. Dr Rehman’s departure follows that of assistant academy director Danny Philpott last week.

There is likely to be further changes to the backroom team in the coming months, with Moyes focused on transforming the fortunes of a club which has started another Premier League season without a victory in either August or September.

The Sunderland manager was deflated after last Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, when his players held a two-goal lead going into the final half hour.

Anichebe, preparing to face former club West Brom, after appearing from the bench against Palace, said: “The gaffer is not taking any prisoners now. He is getting into everyone.

“He is back to the way he used to be. He is hammering into us about shape, and defending, and the basics of football. We have to do the ground work before anything else.

“Fans are frustrated. People can think we don't care. That kind of defeat is not nice. We dug in so well and then lost it at the final whistle. It was stupid. A sickening defeat.

“All the boys have been on a (fitness) regime. He says we need to work harder and run more. We can improve as a whole and it will get better.”

Anichebe, who worked under Moyes at Everton for seven years, was only introduced for the final four minutes against Palace after building up his fitness since arriving as a free agent after the transfer window closed.

The chances are that he will figure alongside Jermain Defoe, the club’s talismanic and only prolific goalscorer, at some stage and Anichebe hopes to be able to strike up an understanding with him.

The 28-year-old told the club’s website: “We have had some training games, young versus old, and I have been the big one and him the small one. We have linked up well. Some of his finishes are good to watch. But we have options to have different shapes. Playing with Jermaine is good and it can be a different combination.”

Defoe has still struck four goals in a struggling team during the first couple of months of the season and he was being talked up for an England recall.

Former Sunderland manager Allardyce left the England role this week after he was filmed discussing with undercover reporters posing as businessmen how to ‘get around’ transfer rules.

That could have harmed Defoe’s chances of forcing his way back onto the international stage, although Sunderland team-mate Seb Larsson feels the former Tottenham and Toronto man deserves his place regardless.

Larsson said: “As you have seen in a team struggling, if you give him chances he will score. That’s all you can ask of a striker. I don’t see why he can’t get a recall. I know he wants it and hopefully if he keeps going he will get it.”

Two younger Sunderland players have been called up. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and forward Duncan Watmore have been named in the Under-21s squad to face Kazakhstan and Bosnia & Herzegovina in the Euro qualifiers on October 6 and October 11 respectively.