WITH the club languishing close to the bottom of the Premier League table, Craig Gardner admits it is time the Sunderland squad really earned their bumper wage packets.

The Black Cats are currently 16th in the table and sit four points above the relegation places after winning just one of their first nine matches this season.

Although they have only been beaten twice - by Manchester City and Aston Villa - concerns are growing on Wearside, particularly due to the goal drought the side is currently on.

Steven Fletcher was the last player to score for the Martin O'Neill's squad and that came on September 29 in the home win over Wigan.

O'Neill's men face a tough task to record their second win of the season when they travel to Goodison Park to play Everton today - a ground they haven't won on since November 1996.

Gardner insists the squad won't let

that fact play of their minds tomorrow and believes they must show the travelling Sunderland supporters that they are up for the fight.

"That's what you get paid for as a footballer," Gardner said. "It's good when things are going really well but when things aren't going well people need to step up and say 'this is where we really earn our money.'

"We can't fold, we can't let people take the PISS out of us and run us ragged.

"We need to stand up and be men. In the Sunderland changing room we've got 20 people like that in there. Everyone is strong and we will come through it."

After ten games at right-back, Garnder returned to his natural central midfield role in the defeat to Aston Villa, but he could be asked to revert back to defence today with Phil Bardsley struggling to be fit.

The 25-year-old admits he found it tough adjusting back to his midfield role and believes it will take a few games to get back to his midfield thinking.

He said: "It was tough, I've got to admit. Playing right-back for ten games on the bounce you half get used to playing there and obviously I've been playing there in training.

"The game comes when you move back in to midfield and you've got to get your bearings right. I'll admit I had a quiet game {against Aston Villa} but hopefully on Saturday if I'm selected I've got that one game out my system and I've got my bearings back and I can help the team create chances to score goals.

"I wouldn't say it's about building relationships again. It's just about getting your bearings. If you have ten weeks off work and you come back you'll be like 'what's happening?' and that has been the case but everyone knows I'm a midfielder. I've played there, I've scored goals and that's what I aim to do.

"Midfield is what I know, but as I say playing right back for so long and coming back you need to get your bearings."

Although they are suffering a barren spell in front of goal, the Black Cats appear to have improved defensively and have only conceded more than one goal on two occasions.

Garnder admits that is something positive the squad can take from the start of the new campaign, but insists they must work harder to create more chances in front of goal.

"When the gaffer came in he said he wanted us to defend with our lives, to head every ball that comes in and that's what the lads are doing, but as I say we need to score goals as well, which is a team game and it doesn't matter who scores as long as we get the points.

"We don't go in to games thinking 'get the ball to Fletch, Fletch has got to do this and Fletch has got to do that.'

"If Simon (Mignolet) scores we'll get the three points and we'll be happy. It doesn't matter who scores but he has scored the goals and we need to take more risks and more chances and that will bring more goals."