So much has changed in a year for Black Cats

Nov 28 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

Without wishing to condemn former colleagues, McCartney admits the likes of El-Hadji Diouf and Pascal Chimbonda had “a bit of an attitude” and made the dressing room an intimidating place for the squad’s junior members.

Certainly, it is difficult to see the emergence of a Jordan Henderson under the former regime. “I think maybe last year the foreign lads who came in had a bit of an attitude about them. I’m not saying that in a bad way necessarily – it was just their way of doing things,” the defender said.

“Certainly the lads I’ve seen this year – John Mensah, Lorik Cana and Paulo Da Silva – they’re good players but they’re top men too and easy to get on with. Probably the younger lads in the squad don’t feel so intimidated by them.

“I think at any football club you have little cliques. You’re never going to get away from that but probably last year because we weren’t so consistent those cliques became worse. It’s never a happy place to be when you’re not winning as often as you’d like to and you’re always around the bottom of the table.

“When things are going better and there’s no pressure, everyone is so much happier. This season the team spirit is better and all the lads get on better with each other.”

The impressive Cana, appointed captain despite no previous experience in the English leagues, has made a key contribution. Arguably the best signing made by any Premier League team this summer, his performances on the pitch have catapulted him into a band of elite top flight midfielders. But his influence off it has been of equal importance as a new side beds in.

McCartney has paid tribute to the Albania captain, a player he feels would not be out of place in any ‘big four’ side.

“I was surprised that Marseille let him go. As a person he’s one of the nicest guys you could meet. He’s down to earth, he’s not got a chip on his shoulder and he’s a really top bloke,” he said.

“He’s come across and settled down really well. Certainly the fans have taken to him. You can see the impact he’s made on the pitch, he’s been fantastic.

“And off it, there’s never been a problem with anyone. For £4.5million he was an absolute bargain and I’m really surprised none of the teams in the top four had a look at him.

“Probably there wasn’t too many of our fans who had heard of him before he came to Sunderland but what he has brought to us is incredible, on and off the pitch. It benefits everyone.”