THIS game was done and dusted before half-time, even if Jermain Defoe did grab a goal to give Sunderland some hope.

It would have taken something special for the Black Cats to come back from three goals down and they didn’t. Here are the main issues from the game at the Stadium of Light.

CONFIDENCE SHOT

Considering this was a game Sunderland needed to be up for ahead of a tricky run of fixtures, they could not have started more poorly. From the outset they lacked quality, cohesion and confidence and that resulted in them playing catch-up.

It was not until Stoke had gone three goals up, and perhaps took their foot of the gas, that Sunderland started to show greater purpose and belief. By that time it was too late and any chance of climbing out of the bottom three had gone.

Can they ever edge out of the relegation zone this season? Not on the evidence of this. Poor passes, poor defending, and general sloppiness in play cost them three goals – and that would even have been the case in the Championship.

LACK OF OPTIONS

It was no surprise that the ‘are you watching Ellis Short?’ chant reared its head again.

It’s January 14, so half way through the January transfer window, and there have been no new faces added to David Moyes squad.

Will there be by February? He hopes so, and so do the fans because this is a group of players not equipped to stay up given the extent of the injury list and absentees.

Even with a full squad it might have been difficult for Moyes to oversee a more successful campaign and the first 34 minutes here were further proof of the problems.

He didn’t even use a substitute, which is the first time any Sunderland manager has taken that stance since September 2001.

BIT OF CLASS

Two names spring to mind. Marko Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri. Those two players were the difference on an afternoon when Sunderland, once again, had to rely on Jermain Defoe for finding the net.

Defoe is staying put by the sounds of it, but his goals will not be enough to keep Sunderland in the Premier League alone. While Stoke are hardly Champions League material, Arnautovic and Shaqiri are – and Sunderland don’t have such riches in creativity.

And, in reality, Moyes won’t be able to bring in such quality before the end of the month either, so they will need to build a survival fight on character and spirit.

LACK OF STRENGTH

Have Sunderland got character and spirit? That is the question. While Defoe has goals in his boots and there are a few skills from Fabio Borini and Adnan Januzaj, what Sunderland certainly lack is strength.

At least when Victor Anichebe plays – and Lee Cattermole if you can remember him – they have heart and power, both in the tackle and their approach. Without those two there is a real lack of fight.

John O’Shea has experience, as does Seb Larsson and heart, but there are not enough leaders in the Sunderland dressing room and that will be a real problem between now and the end of the season unless it’s addressed.

Stoke might have an Arnautovic or Shaqiri, but they also have a Charlie Adam, Ryan Shawcross and Glenn Whelan to do the dirty work. To have both within their ranks is why Stoke claimed the points.

MANAGERIAL REACTION

David Moyes said: “It was down to three individual mistakes. It’s difficult because it was three mistakes and those never allowed us to get going. We got a goal back and we made one or two chances second half where we could have got it back, but the damage was done by the mistakes. “I didn’t think we had players on the bench capable of scoring more than Jermain Defoe, Fabio Borini or Adnan Januzaj. We don’t have anything to change it round. I felt our best attacking players were already on the pitch.”

Mark Hughes said: “The first 35 minutes was probably the best we've played away from home for a few seasons. We started really well, showed a lot of purpose and made life really difficult for them.

“There's only ever so much confidence on any pitch, theirs is down and it's up to you to suck what confidence they do have out of them, which is what we did.

“I’m pleased because it needed a response after last week (Stoke lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup), but we always tend to respond and I’m delighted we have done again. We’re up to ninth, aiming for Europe but it’ll be very difficult.”