MICK McCARTHY has reassured worried Sunderland supporters that the club's selling spree is well and truly over.
The Black Cats' boss had little say in a massive summer sale at the Stadium of Light, in which no fewer than 16 of his senior players departed.
But, after a pre-season riddled with turmoil following relegation from the Premiership, Sunderland are finally in a position to look to the future.
And McCarthy, whose new-look side hope to continue their recent resurgence at Stoke City tonight, insists he will not be happy if he is forced to offload more of his stars when the transfer window re-opens in January.
"I accepted that players had to go before, but I won't be accepting of players having to go in a transfer window if it opened now," said the former Republic of Ireland chief.
"I think the club have been very positive in their response to relegation. That's what we have got to remember, not the reasons why.
"Before it was 'can we turn it around?' The first point of that was can we get the wage bill down? That's been done.
"Now we have a far leaner squad and results have made everybody feel much happier about themselves. It looks like a team that can hold its own in the First Division.
"I would not be accepting of anything that is going to make my job any harder than it already is."
Instead of considering the players he may or may not have at his disposal, McCarthy is now firmly focused on the job in hand - steering the current crop to as high a finish in Division One as possible.
The former Celtic defender holds a great deal of confidence in his young squad and he also revealed he may be able to swoop for a couple of loan signings in the future.
"I'm not in a great position where I can go and buy loads of players," he said.
"But if there's a right loan deal to be had - I say right because there have been certain players which I have not been interested in - then I will take a look.
"I'm not going to approach a Premier League club and ask them if they'll loan a player to us at the moment because they won't get in.
"But if we get injury problems then I might have to go cap in hand and ask somebody to give us a player for a bit."
After losing their first two games of the season - taking their winless run to 17 matches - McCarthy always maintained his belief his side would turn things around.
But now, after guiding Sunderland to fourth, the 44-year-old admitted he did start to question his own ability as the man in charge.
"There's probably been some days when I have thought it's been difficult," said McCarthy.
"I would say during the first two weeks of this season, after two defeats added on to the other nine, that was a difficult time.
"I have always believed in what I do and the way I do things and the people around me.
"But at some stage, like when we went to Forest and played as well as we did and got beat, I started to question whether it needed changing. But I didn't."
Sunderland travel to the Britannia Stadium tonight hoping to make it five wins in a row - something they have not achieved since December 2000.
And on current form Stoke should not prove too tough an opposition. The Potters have only won once at home this season and are yet to win in five outings.
But McCarthy has warned his players to be on their guard after Stoke's 4-2 defeat to Coventry on Saturday. He said: "Tony Pulis (Stoke boss) will have laid into them after getting beat and conceding four.
"And they will want to turn us over, there's no doubt about that. There's nothing better for a team to get beat like that and then face a club like Sunderland."
Midfielder Colin Healy is expected to make his first start for Sunderland tonight since joining on a free transfer.
But the Irishman will not be playing in his preferred position - he will be playing at right-back.
Healy, though, is just keen to return to action to boost his own match fitness levels. And the former Celtic man, who filled that role as a substitute against Crystal Palace, said: "It was just nice to get in there and play.
"I do like to play centre midfield but the lads, Paul Thirlwell and Sean Thornton, are doing well in there. If I have to play right-back to play then I will."
Jason McAteer is ruled out with a strained hamstring and Darren Williams is doubtful after going off injured on Saturday.
Read more about Sunderland here.
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