DESPERATE Sunderland manager Peter Reid is preparing to smash the club's transfer record in a last-ditch bid to blast a way into Europe this season.

But Valencia striker John Carew will not be the man he will target as a new partner for goal-ace Kevin Phillips.

Reid has decided to concentrate his efforts on replacing 35-year-old Niall Quinn after a gamble to play winger Kevin Kilbane as an out-and-out striker failed to come off in the 1-0 defeat at Everton, where the Wearsiders were unable to produce one shot of any note on target.

And afterwards Reid admitted the failure to score goals was the main reason for his side's inability to secure crucial away points in the campaign to win entry into Europe.

He said: "We have only scored six goals away from home this season which is the problem and Kevin Phillips has been our only threat - at the moment he looks like our only threat.

"We need to have more threat up front and without wanting to speculate and put pressure on myself to get someone in I do think we are short in the attacking department. I think that's fair to say.

"Defensively away from home we are not too bad but we just need to score a few more goals and that's been our major problem."

But Carew delivered a slap-in-the-face to Sunderland at the weekend, ruling out any chance of a move to Wearside.

His agent, Per Arne Flod said: "There are two reasons why John Carew will not sign for Sunderland.

"First of all Sunderland is not the quality of club we are looking for and secondly it is not in the kind of geographical area Carew would want to live in if he moved to England to play.

"He would have happily signed for Fulham because we know they have real ambitions of playing in Europe - they have Jean Tigana as manager and a lot of funding for players too - and we are not sure if Sunderland share the same ambitions."

Sunderland are believed to have had an inquiry for Leeds striker Alan Smith knocked back, while there is still interest in Manchester United's £7m-rated Dwight Yorke.

Having had his fingers burned with £3.6m French international Lilian Laslandes, who has now joined Bundesliga club Cologne on loan until the end of the season, Reid knows he cannot afford to make any more mistakes as he tries again to replace Quinn, who appears to be in his last season on Wearside.

At Goodison Park Sunderland were atrocious against mediocre opposition in the first half when Quinn was suprisingly left on the substitutes' bench and Reid was forced to bring on his veteran hit-man just before the hour - and there was a distinct improvement, though Reid's men could not salvage a point in a late seige.

Reid said: "We tried something different by playing Kevin Kilbane up front, but it does not matter what system you play if you don't pass the ball you are not going to play.

"Niall Quinn has done fantastic for us but sometimes you have to try something different and it's an area we're looking at."

Central defender Jody Craddock is baffled by Sunderland's poor away form - a complete contrast to the performances at the Stadium of Light.

He said: "Fortunately we're still in mid-table and there is time to put together a run towards qualifying for Europe.

"But we have got to start gathering points, particularly away from home and we can't afford to waste any more time."

Craddock admitted that the first half display at Goodison Park was poor.

"I don't think there was enough passion there and we didn't want the ball enough or take on responsibility.

"We should have come to Everton and won the three points and that's why everyone is disappointed. What we need is a really good performance away from home ."

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