GUSTAVO POYET thinks Sunderland have a long way to go before he can consider his methods are working at the Stadium of Light – despite ending the wait for a win.

The Black Cats, who have only lost once in the Premier League this season, finally picked up three points for the first time in seven outings by defeating Stoke City ten days ago.

But Poyet does not think the solid start that Sunderland have made should suggest he has finally transformed a team which struggled against relegation throughout last season.

The Uruguayan is focused on changing the whole ethos of a club which has battled at the wrong end of the Premier League for years, despite the best efforts of some of his predecessors.

“We need time,” said Poyet. “We have players still learning to do certain things that we want to become natural for them. For that, you need to work on it every day ... every day. That’s what we’re working on.

“We need to show them, train and tell them because not all of the players will learn the same way or as quickly as each other. It can take time. We know that.

“I can’t put a timeframe on how long it will take to do, but that’s what we ask for, time, because we’ve got an idea and we think it works.

“For the idea to be close to perfection, you need time. The idea is to be competitive, keep growing and having a way of playing which makes sure you become a better club. That is going to be easier in the future.”

Despite Poyet’s words of caution, he is satisfied with many elements of how Sunderland are performing this season. The biggest concern he had was how to get his team scoring goals, so to see three go in against Stoke really pleased him.

Strikers Connor Wickham and Steven Fletcher finally justified the faith which was afforded in them by the Sunderland boss – and the hope is now that the improvements in the final third continue ahead of the trip to St Mary’s.

The performances of Wickham and Fletcher have not helped Jozy Altidore’s attempts to force his way back into the Sunderland side, however. He hinted over the weekend that he will be looking to leave in January if he is still a bit-part player on Wearside.

Altidore is a regular for the United States but Jurgen Klinsmann has told him that his place will be under threat if he remains on the periphery of things, which has led to suggestions that Burnley are weighing up a January move.

The 24-year-old is not thinking about a switch to Turf Moor, though, and insisted on international duty yesterday that he had ‘no idea’ and that he had not ‘heard anything’ about such interest.

Altidore is keen to prove himself as a Premier League footballer after struggling to shine during spells with Hull and Sunderland – either side of a prolific stint in Holland with Alkmaar – but a return to America’s Major League Soccer is also an option.