‘It Always Comes Back To The Fact’ – Sunderland Star Lauds Defensive Mentality | OneFootball

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Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka feels that it is fun to suffer on the pitch to get a result and added that the Black Cats love defending.

The Premier League new boys made Xhaka one of their early targets of the summer, as Regis Le Bris wanted to add experienced players to their team, with the ex-Arsenal star fitting their profile perfectly.

Xhaka has not disappointed them, as he has been brilliant so far this season with three goal contributions in eleven league games and under his captaincy Sunderland are flying high.

Sunderland boss Le Bris also thinks highly of Xhaka, as he recently pointed out that the Swiss international leads by example and makes his team-mates believe in themselves.

Xhaka pointed out that in the past few years teams coming up from the Championship have had tough times in their attempts to stay up in the Premier League and stated that Sunderland are currently suffering on the pitch to get results, something which he deems to be a fun thing to do.

Xhaka thinks that there are two ways to defend, with the first being in a situation where a team have to and the second being because a team love to and pointed out that Sunderland are successful because they have chosen the latter option.

When asked about his comments during his first Sunderland interview, where he alluded to the fact that they have to suffer, Xhaka told Swiss daily Blick: “I used that word because the promoted team has always suffered over the last six or seven years.

“We are suffering on the pitch right now, too. 

“It is fun to suffer for the results. 

“I give a little speech before most of Sunderland’s matches. 

“It always comes back to the fact that there are two ways to defend: because you have to or because you love it. 

“We love defending. 

“That is the difference!

“That is why we have healthy stability and exceptional balance.

“Very few teams create chances against us.”

Xhaka has been a fan favourite at the Stadium of Light and his agent, Jose Noguera, revealed that the defensive midfielder was excited to join Sunderland.

The Black Cats are currently sitting fourth in the league table and Xhaka will be hoping that he can keep on driving his team-mates to secure safety by the end of the season.