BOSS HAS US FEELING LIKE A NEW CLUB, SAYS MATTHEWS

ADAM Matthews says Jack Ross has changed Sunderland for the better since arriving at the club this summer.

The right-back claims that two key things that Ross has changed since his arrival from St Mirren has it feeling like a complete new club.

The Black Cats have had a solid start to the season after two tumultuous years that saw them relegated in consecutive seasons.

But Matthews is loving life on Wearside this season, admitting two key changes Ross has made are behind the turn in fortunes at the Stadium of Light. Matthews revealed: “He’s been brilliant. I think we’ve got a togetherness which we haven’t had for a long time. We all get on.

“I’m not saying we didn’t get on off the field last season, but I think we’ve got a stronger bond this season.

“All the coaching staff have been brilliant and it does feel like a new club.”

And on the other change from Ross, the Wales international continued: “He wants us to train like we play so it’s shorter times but more intensity and I think that shows on the pitch.

“We’ve looked a lot fitter than we did last season and I think at the end of the games we always look like the team that’s going to score. That’s good, because if we’re not playing well we’ve always got the last twenty minutes to try to get a goal.”

Sunderland have lost only once so far this season in the league and sit fifth in the table, but have a game in hand. They travel to Shrewsbury on Saturday hoping to start a run of victories that catapults them to the top of the table.