KRISTJAAN Speakman insists Sunderland's failure to sign a striker on deadline day was not down to a lack of ambition and says the Black Cats have the players to cope without Ross Stewart in the second half of the season.

The sporting director has revealed that Sunderland's efforts to replace Stewart started at half-time at Fulham after the striker suffered his season-ending Achilles injury.

But while admitting Sunderland were left "frustrated and disappointed" at their inability to land a striker in the final days of the window, Speakman stands by the decisions made by the club, saying the coaching and recruitment team agreed that they shouldn't be panicked into signing a player that wouldn't fit the system.

Speakman described Stewart's injury as "tragic" and says the striker is "really down" but, while obviously devastated for the frontman, he believes Sunderland can still kick-on in the second half of the season despite not signing a replacement.

He says: "We're really fortunate that we have seven or eight versatile front players and our option is to use them in a different way if we need to."

Sunderland continued to monitor Ellis Simms' situation right until the deadline, confirmed Speakman, but Everton's failure to sign attackers meant the Premier League strugglers were unwilling to allow the young striker to head back to Wearside.

Explaining Sunderland's late efforts in the window, Speakman says: "Overall we're really pleased with the progression we made in the window, and certainly really chuffed with the players we've acquired.

"But ultimately we're left with frustration and disappointment because we'd like to have acquired one more player based on the fact Ross had that really unfortunate and tragic injury. That's a disappointment and frustrating more than anything."

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Speakman says Sunderland made "several seven-figure bids" for strikers but after landing Joe Gelhardt on loan from Leeds turned their attention elsewhere - until the Stewart setback.

He says: "We moved to get Joffy (Gelhardt) which was one of the most competitive acquisitions for a loan player I've ever been involved in, and I was really proud of the guys to get that one over the line.

"Then we're in a situation where we have two high profile centre forwards so it's a really difficult proposition to find a third who's happy to come under those circumstances. We were looking at some options for a third striker, a younger profile, to come in and provide depth.

"At 2.55pm at Fulham on Saturday, we're really chuffed with our work and our balance. Then Ross gets that injury and at half-time I'm on the phone with Stuart (Harvey, head of player recruitment) trying to readdress our target list to find a solution in the last three days.

"We were still fairly confident with the options we had and the conversations that were ongoing, but we found ourselves in a position where none of the available players fit what we needed.

"We were clear we weren't going to add players for the sake of adding players. You don't want to go into a period of games with one out-and-out number nine. But the traditional number nine is not as prevalent in our team as it would be in other teams in terms of how we play the game.

"We want to maintain our playing identity and didn't feel we could find the qualities to either enhance or maintain the level of the team. When you get to the final days of the window, the market is very small.  We have versatile players that we feel we can solve the problem.

"It's certainly not a case of a lack of ambition in the market. We've had the bids in there on players that we feel is appropriate.

"This can't define the outcome of the season. We have a really positive group of players who play a really nice brand of football and we have to maintain that."

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Sunderland had hoped to bring back Simms, who was recalled by Everton at the start of the window, but the Toffees closed that door on deadline day.

Speakman said: "We were constantly monitoring Ellis' position.

"Everton's situation is well documented and people will be able to make their own judgement on that. It was just unfortunate Ellis wasn't made available for loan.

"It would have been fantastic had that occurred on the final day and would have potentially solved our problem."