Catt partnership has suffered says Lorik Cana

Mar 30 2010 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

SUNDERLAND skipper Lorik Cana admits his midfield partnership with Lee Cattermole is not the force it once was.

The duo are Steve Bruce’s preferred pairing in the engine room but injuries and suspension have disrupted their rhythm in the second half of the season.

The Liverpool game was the first in four that they had played together and a quiet performance from two of Sunderland’s main men betrayed their lack of games together.

It certainly seemed a world away from the performances that helped suffocate Arsenal and Liverpool at the Stadium of Light when Cana and Cattermole were patrolling the midfield with rare tenacity in the autumn.

The Black Cats’ skipper (pictured far left) admits they have suffered for missing games, although he remains confident they can recapture their best form soon. “It has been a big blow that we’ve not been able to play together as much as we wanted,” he said.

“When we play together the spirit of the team is completely different. When we play together and we are at our best it is a different team. For

a month and a half it has been better but he (Cattermole) has been a little bit injured and I have been suspended, so we lost more games together.

“It was a little bit difficult at Liverpool but I am confident we will be back to where we were.”

Although the result at Anfield was far from ideal Cana’s return to the side was a welcome one.

The Albania international has enjoyed what he has called a “decent” first season in the Premier League and reckons he will be much better for the experience next term.

Although he played Champions League football for Marseille, it is the sustained intensity of the English top flight that has caught him slightly off guard – especially the way lesser teams chase and harry to compensate for their lack of ability.