Cats scared of playing away admits Lorik Cana

Dec 2 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

SUNDERLAND skipper Lorik Cana admits the Black Cats have become afraid of playing away from home.

Unbeaten since August at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland have won just once on their travels in a run which has forced Steve Bruce back to the drawing board ahead of Sunday’s trip to Fulham.

He is ready to recall Bolo Zenden and John Mensah to the starting line-up to solve the Black Cats’ travel sickness – although worringly Kenwyne Jones, also due to return after suspension, hobbled off after winning a penalty during the Black Cats reserves’ 3-0 win over Wigan last night.

But Cana believes getting the right “balance” is the only way Sunderland can end their away-day blues. The midfield enforcer admits the Wearsiders have failed to adapt the attacking game which has served them so well at home and feels a change in mentality from the players may be required.

He said: “I think it is a mental thing, and it is also about confidence. We have a lot of confidence as a team and in each other, but we have not shown that away from home. Sometimes we are afraid and we do

not try to play the way we can. I don’t know why because you look at the last game against Wigan and we have better

quality than them but we did not show it. We should do better than we have been doing. I saw something interesting in what Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday – he said the most important thing to a team is balance.That is exactly right.

“At Sunderland, we do not have that yet in some away games. What is the balance? For me, we need to work harder.

“We must continue to work hard, but in the difficult moments of the game you need to work together and work hard on the defensive part as well.”

Having arrived from French giants Marseille, Cana is not used to struggling on his travels. His side finished second in Ligue Une last season but they were beaten just once on the road – a run Cana puts down to tremendous self-belief and their talent for counter-attack.

He added: “Yes, we were good at home and away. I will try to bring that experience to Sunderland and help to put it right.

“It is not the same league, but with Marseille I lost maybe two or three times away from home the entire time I was there. It was something fantastic. It is different here. Every time you play away, the home team tries really hard to put pressure on you from the first whistle.

“We must find a solution for these sort of games.

“I don’t think we are far away from being right – I don’t think it will be too hard to start winning games away from home – but we need a solution and we need a solution as soon as possible. Why not this weekend?” As Sunderland’s skipper, Cana admits he feels a responsibility to help his colleagues put things right on Sunday at Craven Cottage – a ground which has yielded decent results for the Black Cats since they returned to the Premier League.

A win under Roy Keane and an unfortunate draw last season should provide some comfort for the Wearsiders, especially seeing as they are a much stronger outfit this season. Cana said: “It is my duty as captain to do that and to bring my experience and mentality for these games.

“We have qualities, we have good players and we are in a good place in the league – but the rest of the teams above us are pulling away.”