Bent: Sunderland must spend money
Darren Bent hopes manager Steve Bruce can make "one or two" new signings before the transfer window closes to help Sunderland's bid for a top-half Premier League finish.
Bent is the only Sunderland player to have registered a goal this season, adding his second and third of the campaign last night as the Black Cats beat Colchester United in the Carling Cup second round.
The England hitman has seen his main strike partner from last season, Kenwyne Jones, sold for 8million to Stoke this summer and it looks like he will be relied upon again to score the lion's share of the goals.
It's more than a year since Sunderland won without Bent being on the scoresheet, a measure of how important he has been since his 10m move from Spurs last summer.
Bent said: "I was surprised that Kenwyne left us. There had been talk, I know, but you never know what to believe and I thought he was brilliant for us last season.
"Hopefully the gaffer can make one or two additions to the squad before the transfer window closes next week.
"I think we've got a strong squad to take into the new year, but one or two new faces never do any harm and I'm sure the manager has his targets.
"Having said that, people like Kenwyne leaving gives an opportunity for others to come through and make their mark.
"Fraizer Campbell had a great season last year and has been really sharp since we've come back, and we've got Danny Welbeck and Martyn Waghorn champing at the bit."
Bent opened the scoring with a 20th minute header last night and added a second eight minutes from the interval, both goals being aided by errors from Colchester goalkeeper Mark Cousins on a night when the visitors made home keeper Simon Mignolet a busy man.
Sunderland failed to score at West Brom on Saturday and had a Bent penalty and own goal to thank for their 2-2 home draw with Birmingham on the opening weekend of the season.
"Obviously, I'm the only player to score a goal so far, but I'm sure that will change. We've got creative players who can make and score goals and hopefully they'll weigh in with their fair share."
Colchester were not overawed by their Premier League opponents and with better finishing would have made it a very uncomfortable night for the home side.
It was no shock to Bent that League One opponents were capable of causing an upset.
He added: "The main thing for us is to get our first win of the season and hopefully kickstart things a bit.
"We played Brighton from League One in pre-season and they were a handy side so we felt that Colchester would come and give us a tough game. All the pressure was on us but we got the job done and now we have to get ready for Manchester City on Sunday.
"They've got unlimited funds and looked very good against Liverpool on Monday, but we gave them a couple of tough games last season and we always fancy ourselves at home with our fans behind us."
* The Carling Cup third round draw is made on Saturday afternoon.
* Last night's attendance of 13,532 was perilously close to the club's lowest ever crowd at the Stadium of Light. The record low was 11,450 for Sunderland's Carling Cup first-round game against Chester City in August, 2004.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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