With the transfer window now closed, it's time to look at Sunderland's ins and outs and see whether Dick Advocaat can be pleased with his summer business.
Ins
Fabio Borini (Liverpool, £8 million); Jeremain Lens (Dynamo Kyiv, £8m); Younes Kaboul (Tottenham, £5m); Sebastian Coates (Liverpool, £2m); Adam Matthews (Celtic, £2m); Yann M'Vila (Rubin Kazan, loan); Ola Toivonen (Rennes, loan); DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham, loan)
Outs
Connor Wickham (Crystal Palace, £9 million); El-Hadji Ba (Charlton, undisclosed); Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna, loan); Santiago Vergini (Getafe, loan); Jordan Pickford (Preston, loan); Anthony Reveillere (released)
Window Rating - 5/10
Jeremain Lens is as promising a signing as Sunderland have had since Darren Bent, and Fabio Borini's return is welcome, but glaring defensive frailties have not been adequately addressed.
Success Story
Lens started slowly, with undistinguished games in the defeats by Leicester and Norwich, but showed exquisite touches in the draws against Swansea and at Aston Villa.
Yann M'Vila has already proved a useful on-loan acquisition, and Ola Toivonen may become one, but the feeling persists that Sunderland are still struggling to prove themselves better than Premier strugglers.
Part of the problem lies in the club's poor record in shipping out underperforming players to make way for new blood. Connor Wickham's £9m sale to Crystal Palace was good business, but the team probably should have offloaded several more players.
Work in Progress
Every Sunderland supporter along with Advocaat knew what was needed to prevent a swift slide into another relegation battle.
Costel Pantilimon is a good goalkeeper, but the back four, midfield and attack all cried out for quality and the response -- at least in defence -- has been inadequate.
M'Vila has improved with each game and shown flashes of quality -- his goal from a free kick against Aston Villa was sublime -- and Lens has obvious class.
The defence was weakened by Advocaat's early choice of Younes Kaboul and Sebastian Coates as his central defenders. It was no surprise that John O'Shea, who perhaps suspected his Sunderland career was slipping away, was promptly recalled. Interestingly, he and Kaboul formed a decent partnership in the 2-2 draw at Villa Park.
Advocaat also lacks options at full-back, where Patrick van Aanholt and Billy Jones are seriously vulnerable to any opponent with pace down the flanks. With his early signing as cover for either position, Adam Matthews, out with an early injury, the 11th-hour loan deal for Spurs' USA full back DeAndre Yedlin provided a late fillip. Lee Cattermole, on the basis of his dreadful early form, is one who could have been offloaded this summer and perhaps was lucky to survive.
But for the failure to stiffen the defence, Sunderland might have been able to live with the existing attacking options. Defoe has started in sharp scoring form, Borini will get goals, and Duncan Watmore looks capable of fulfilling his promise. But the transfer window has not produced obvious cures for other obvious ailments, despite Borini joining.
Advocaat cannot be blamed -- he can work only within whatever owner Ellis Short is prepared to fund and sporting director Lee Congerton can set up. Short's pained rejection of criticism of his willingness to invest is understandable -- he has seen enough of his money squandered on unimpressive buys -- but continued reliance on loans and cut-price buys smacks of desperation and will lead the club in only one direction.
No one seriously wants a spell in the Championship, but Sunderland's fabulous support are weary of the annual last-ditch survival battles and have every right to expect better.
Winter Watch
Most of the problems that faced Advocaat at the beginning of August will remain unsolved as 2016 begins.
If his back four has become steady and leak-proof by January, the defensive needs will have been exaggerated by the wretched start to the season.
If goals are being made and coming from midfield -- and Defoe is still banging them in -- all the early season concerns will seem alarmist.
But if Sunderland are stuck in or hovering above the bottom three, Advocaat will need to engage Short and Congerton in some intense man-to-man talking, providing he is still the manager.
Sunderland have been markedly unsuccessful in recent seasons in attempts to find mid-season fixes. Existing squad members have had to come good in time for the traditional late run for safety.
Advocaat would need to draw on all his experience, knowledge and contacts to have a realistic chance of making inspirational signings in January. Where they turn for defensive strengthening is anyone's guess.
By far the best hope is the side build on their two positive draws against Swansea and Aston Villa, and that late progress in the transfer window, leaving no need for panic in January.