WORD had filtered through that another member of the Sunderland dressing room had suffered frustration on the injury front. It was not exactly the start to the morning David Moyes had hoped for at the Academy of Light.

There was no sign of Jason Denayer, the young defender who has torn an adductor muscle on duty for the Belgian Under-21s, when Moyes opened the doors to the training ground for the media to gain an insight into the moods and the work behind the scenes to turn the Black Cats around.

Moyes has found it difficult since agreeing to succeed Sam Allardyce, but is determined to do things his own way in the hope it keep Sunderland in the Premier League.

There were still smiles, a few jokes and plenty of banter between the players and the coaching staff, as he put a depleted squad through its paces in the cold, and occasionally wet, autumnal air in Cleadon.

Jermain Defoe, the striker sporting jogging pants throughout and displaying his incredible hunger for goals, has never had any doubts about the squad’s togetherness though; he just knows that other areas need to improve.

"The spirit here has always been good to be honest,” said Defoe. “There are some good characters here and whenever new players come in, you have got to try to get them involved in the group. That (lack of spirit) is not the problem.

“You have to remain positive because the games are so important. Every game is so difficult - home or away - compared to when I first started. It is important that the whole team sticks together, like we did last season towards the end, then you will be fine.”

Defoe could have been on international duty this week had Allardyce hung around long enough in his role as national team boss. Instead the 34-year-old has been at the Academy of Light for the majority of the break, maintaining his fitness ahead of Saturday’s trip to Stoke City.

He was only one of 14 players going through the initial activation session in the club’s indoor barn facility; when they were warming up to a collection of dance tracks.

Before the group headed outside and extended to a group of 19, including four goalkeepers, the players did sprints, hops, sidesteps and resistance work as part of their conditioning programme along with fitness coaches Adrian Lamb and Scott Pearce.

Moyes observed along with Robbie Stockdale and Paul Bracewell until they went outside to work with the ball, while injured players like Lee Cattermole and Vito Mannone would continue their rehabilitation indoors in the pool or gym. Seb Larsson worked on his own jogging with Pearce.

Sunderland managers have not tended to get involved too much on the training pitch, particularly in recent years, with Allardyce known to prefer delegation. Moyes, though, is very hands on and was at the centre of proceedings.

There were a couple of stand-out issues to be derived from the session on the field. The first was that the quality of Defoe’s finishing appears even greater and more effortless in practice, and even celebrates like he is in a game.

"You have to - but normally there's no cameras there so you can't watch them back,” said Defoe, as if he was making a demand knowing he had just converted a sensational volley that will never be seen again.

As well as witness Defoe deliver a reminder – if it was required - that his predatory instincts will be vital if Sunderland are to survive, it was also evident how much emphasis was placed on width by Moyes.

With the exception of the warm-up passing drills, which was still done with intensity and included sliding blocks, two groups of seven lined up for attacking drills that were possession based in creating chances to cross from out wide.

Defoe and Victor Anichebe were the strikers tending to charge in to the middle to finish, although it was clear how Moyes feels Sunderland need to improve their wing play to create the chances to get Sunderland out of trouble.

The open session approach might be something new for Sunderland, but Defoe has had the experience of it before with Toronto in the United States – and he thinks it could be a good thing in the future.

"To be honest I think it did (make a difference),” said Defoe. “It was good for the young lads and that. When you see the cameras out for some reason it lifts players. It's similar to the MLS. They do that all the time in the MLS.

“The press are even in the changing room in the MLS. You come out of the shower and there's like a couple of women there … they (the reporters) come and talk to you in the changing room.”

Invitations into the dressing room may still be some way off at the Stadium of Light, but Moyes clearly feels there is nothing to hide in his bid to turn things around.