Swansea City vs Sunderland - Bob Bradley says Swansea must plug leaks to survive

Swansea manager Bob Bradley admits his team will be relegated if they continue to ship goals at the current rate they are flying in.

The Welsh side tackle fellow strugglers Sunderland at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday and there is no getting away from the statistics showing they have the worst defence in the Premier League, letting in a league-high 31 already.

Nineteen of those have come in the seven games Bradley has overseen since succeeding Francesco Guidolin at the start of October.

Swansea returned to the bottom last weekend after a 5-0 mauling at Tottenham, but victory over Sunderland would move them above David Moyes' Black Cats and possibly even out of the relegation zone.

Swansea have conceded nine goals in two games - the Spurs debacle coming on the back of an incredible 5-4 home victory over Crystal Palace - and Bradley said: "We have to defend better in all areas.

"We're not going to survive if we continue to concede that number of goals. There have been moments along the way where I think we felt all right and saw a small step in the right direction.

"But that has to be more consistent because we have been conceding all different kinds of goals."

Swansea's defensive frailties will certainly be tested by in-form Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe, who has eight goals for the season after scoring four in his last five games.

Bradley said: "We must recognise where he is and close him down, because he is a striker who lives off the tiniest spaces.

"We all know how big this match is, our version of a cup final. We've had a few of those already, but it feels like the biggest one."

Sunderland boss Moyes thinks heads should roll in Swansea's boardroom if doubts already exist about American manager Bradley.

Moyes, who was in a similar position earlier this season before a run of three wins in four games stabilised his position, said: "If that's the case it shouldn't be Bob Bradley that loses his job, it should be the person who employed Bob Bradley that should lose his job.

"I think Bob Bradley would have to be given time. Whoever would go into Swansea, or Sunderland for example, or some of the clubs at this end of the table and expect it to be a massive turnaround? If anybody thinks that they are completely wrong. They really are."

Sunderland's January recruitment plans hit a snag this week when Yann M'Vila, last season's star loan signing, decided against a move that had already been arranged.

Meanwhile, Moyes has to decide on who should replace forward Duncan Watmore, who will miss the rest of the season with cruciate knee ligament damage. The likes of Wahbi Khazri, Seb Larsson and Adnan Januzaj are all vying to take his place.