Poyet ready for Black Cats rescue mission

Gus Poyet is relishing the “great and difficult challenge” of keeping Sunderland in the Premier League after being unveiled as the club’s sixth manager in less than five years.

The 45-year-old Uruguayan is adamant he will not need to compromise the brand of fluent, attacking football for which he made his name in his previous managerial role at Brighton but accepted he will be judged by his ability to secure Sunderland’s top-flight future.

Poyet brushed aside comparisons with his predecessor Paolo Di Canio, whose tumultuous 13-match reign came to an end last month amid mounting criticism of the club’s summer transfer policy under director of football Roberto Di Fanti, with whom Poyet will now work.