Patrick van Aanholt insists manager Dick Advocaat knows what he is doing at Sunderland.

Advocaat was left to pick up the pieces at Sunderland following a torrid campaign under former manager Gus Poyet and since his arrival to the Stadium of Light. But the Dutchman has managed to secure only three points from a possible nine in the Premier League.

But Van Aanholt has backed his manager and says the 67-year old knows exactly what he is doing.

"Yeah, but I think in the first week after the manager came we knew what he wanted," van Aanholt said. "Everybody knows now, for certain. It's up to us to do it on the pitch. "He's changed stuff around and he's an experienced man so he knows what he's doing and everyone's listened to him."