Sunderland boss Gus Poyet insists the club's new transfer strategy will help break the cycle of the past.
Last summer, the Wearsiders' former director of football Roberto De Fanti brought 14 players to the Stadium of Light -- many without Premier League experience.
Poyet, alongside sporting director Lee Congerton, has overseen the addition of six players who have previously played in the English top flight, along with winger Will Buckley from Brighton.
"We have a plan, where we want to be, what we think we need to have, how we can improve from the past," Poyet told The Journal.
"We went through what we need, the numbers, the names -- if you know them it's easier, because you've watched them."
Poyet believes Sunderland's new approach of securing domestic players rather than looking abroad is more likely to pay dividends.
"I think it was something we were missing," he said. "I think it was something we have maybe changed. We needed a few young British players to come into the club, and we were trying to target a certain style of players and making sure we had a good combination.
"It's not just about buying and buying and spending and spending."
Sunderland's transfer activity has not yet finished, with Liverpool striker Fabio Borini -- who was on loan on Wearside last season -- still Poyet's main target.
The clubs agreed a 14-million-pound fee for the striker in July but negotiations are not yet complete. Another season-long loan is a possibility if a permanent deal cannot be struck.