MIKE DODDS admits Sunderland have to improve their attacking options during this summer’s transfer window, but denies the club necessarily have to sign a ‘new number nine’.

Sunderland’s lack of attacking threat was glaringly apparent yet again yesterday as they failed to seriously trouble Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic during their 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats signed four forwards last summer, but none have made a positive impression this season. Eliezer Mayenda is currently on loan at Hibernian, Mason Burstow has only scored one league goal, Luis Hemir has failed to score in his 21 Championship outings and the injured Nazariy Rusyn boasts just two goals from 22 senior appearances.

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Signing a new forward will have to be a priority when the transfer window reopens later this summer, but while Dodds has hinted that Sunderland’s ownership group are ready to adapt their signing policy, he does not think the purchase of a proven number nine is necessarily the answer to the club’s problems.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a number nine that we need,” said the Black Cats’ interim head coach. “If you look at last year, then you wouldn’t say we had a recognised number nine, but the season was relatively successful in terms of us getting to the play-offs.

“I don’t think the answer is that we have to go out and sign a number nine. I think the answer is that we need more quality in the top area of the pitch.

“For whatever reason, Patrick Roberts hasn’t had the same season he had last year, we obviously lost Amad Diallo and Joe Gelhardt, and when you’re taking those sort of players out of the top area of the pitch, then it’s going to have an impact.

“But I don’t think it’s a case of if we find a number nine, all of our problems will be solved. We need more depth. It’s not just a number nine issue. It might be an attacking midfielder that might be the answer to some of the questions we have. Or it might be a tactical thing.

“In recent weeks, we’ve looked a lot harder team to play against, but the missing ingredient is just that little bit of extra quality in the top end of the pitch. It’ll either be players we’ve got, where we need a summer working with them, or it’ll be other players coming in.”

For the time being, Dodds will have to continue trying to improve Sunderland’s attacking output without the aid of the transfer market.

He started yesterday’s game with Bradley Dack up front before changing tack and moving Jobe Bellingham to the central attacking position in the second half, but neither player was able to offer a threat as the Black Cats’ winless home run extended to six games.

“It is really frustrating – I can’t sit here and say that it’s not,” said Dodds. “I’ve tweaked and tinkered, and tried to find solutions for that area of the pitch. But it’s obvious that it’s an area of the pitch where, this summer, the club need to do some work around.

“That being said though, I’m a coach and I take great pride in the work that I do. We’ll keep working with the group and what we’ve got to try to find those solutions, but I think (the Milwall game) probably highlighted more than ever that the top end of the pitch is so vital for us.

“I think we look really solid, and for an hour or so, until we changed our shape, we limited them to little or no chances. If we were just a little bit better, and maybe a bit more fearless, in the top end of the pitch, then the result might have been different. But we weren’t.”