Steven Pienaar admits Sunderland's players are letting down their fans.

Winless Sunderland already find themselves in a perilous situation, eight games in they are yet to taste victory.

Pienaar told the Sunderland Echo: “The fans had a right to vent their frustration at half-time at Stoke, they have paid their money and were not happy we were losing.

“But second half, when you sit on the bench and hear the fans. I have no words.

“It was just amazing, them standing behind the team that way.

“We, as players, we owe them for that, we have to start winning games, making sure people go home happy to their families.

“Our home games too, we get 40,000 to 45,000 supporters to every home game at the Stadium of Light.

“They have been backing us and, as a player, you feel 'we are letting a lot of people down here'.

“We have to start getting it right."