Kevin Phillips has urged Sunderland to be more “clinical” this season.

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has suggested that the Black Cats need to be more “clinical” in the final third if they are to start picking up points in the Premier League this season.

A 2-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon left Regis Le Bris’ men 17th in the top flight table, with four points from their opening six fixtures. Over the course of those half-dozen outings, Sunderland have found the back of the net just six times, with three of those goals coming in a 5-3 defeat at the hands of Manchester City back in September.

And in Phillips’ opinion, if the Black Cats are to fix their form and climb away from the relegation zone over the coming weeks, they need to offer more in front of goal. Speaking exclusively to The Echo, courtesy of BestBettingSites, when asked where he feels his former club need to improve, the pundit replied: “I think the obvious one is in the final third, being a bit more clinical, creating a few more opportunities.

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“When you watched the game at the weekend, they dominated most of the possession, got into some good areas, and then just couldn't quite finish with an end product. So I think that's the most obvious one when you speak to the fans and listen to the media. It's the same for a lot of teams. You just need to be more clinical in that final third, a bit more like they were last season.”

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