Sunderland transfer news: What Tony Mowbray said about Everton's Ellis Simms, free agents and Millwall
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The Black Cats have been left short of options up front after missing out on a deal to sign another striker on transfer deadline day.
An injury to Ross Stewart also means the side will be without their top scorer for the remainder of the campaign.
Still, Sunderland will be hoping to build on last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Premier League side Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Here’s what was said at the Academy of Light as Mowbray spoke to the media:
RECAP: Tony Mowbray press conference
Key Events
- Sunderland are preparing for their Championship fixture against Millwall at The Den this weekend.
- Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray will be held his pre-match press conference earlier today.
- Sunderland missed out on signing another striker at the end of the transfer window.
- Top scorer Ross Stewart has been ruled out until the end of the season.
Mowbray on the transfer window
“The difficulty is we have lost Corry Evans along with Ross Stewart. These are two men in a dressing room of kids really.
“We worked really, really hard to bring in another midfield player in of substance, of character who I know is a very, very good player. We got really close and it didn’t happen so we were left frustrated.
“At the top end of the pitch we worked extraordinarily hard for the two and a half days we had to find another striker. We were happy to go in with two top strikers in our opinion and now we find ourselves with one.
“It was really difficult late on to try and identify anybody. We worked really hard for a considerable amount of time to try and bring in another 18-year-old striker who had huge potential but didn’t quite fall our way.
“What I do know is the recruitment department will be trying to identify the next 18,19,20-year-old striker who we can sign permanently and give a five-year deal to.”
Mowbray on Ellis Simms
“It was only about Everton at the end of the day.
“I know Sean really well and they were trying to do their business. If they had done their business I was really hopeful Ellis would be coming back.
“We were trying to do other business and weren’t sitting waiting on Ellis. If Ellis had of come through it would have been great and I’d have had a different type of problem trying to keep everybody happy to give them a game.
“It didn’t happen for Everton and didn’t happen for us.”
More to come...
That brings us to the end of the broadcast section of the press conference, but Mowbray has also spoken to the written media including our reporter Phil Smith.
You can find more from the Black Cats boss, as well as build-up to Saturday’s match, over on the SAFC section of the Echo website.