Bardsley fears future of former Black Cats

It’s a club the 31-year-old enjoyed six years playing for, but Phil Bardsley admits he is worried about what the future holds for Sunderland and David Moyes.

The Black Cats are still without a win from their first nine Premier League games, with Saturday’s defeat to West Ham a seventh loss of the season.

It came in rather heartbreaking fashion, with Winston Reid scoring a 94th-minute winner for the Hammers, keeping Sunderland five points adrift of safety even at this stage of the season.

And Bardsley, now a Stoke City player after leaving for the Potteries in 2014, feels there is plentiful cause for concern at the Stadium of Light – both on and off the pitch.

“I said it last year when they were struggling before big Sam came in,” said the defender.

“There is something drastically wrong behind the scenes, up above, whether the owner wants out or what, something needs to be done.

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

“I felt David Moyes was a good choice of manager, the experience he has in the Premier League, but it’s just not happened for him.

“We (Stoke City) played them last week and it was a very flat performance from them. “He

’s spent some money, he’s brought his own players in, six or seven, you can’t say he hasn’t been given the funds.

“I know they have a few injuries, (Lee) Cattermole is a big loss, he’s a driving force in their team.

“But, at the end of the day, when players are injured, someone else has to step up to the plate but at the moment it doesn’t look like many are doing it.”