UNWAVERING SUPPORT IMPRESSES PIENAAR
SUNDERLAND FANS LEAVE MIDFIELDER SPEECHLESS BUT ADMITS THE PLAYERS ARE LETTING
‘we are letting a lot of people down here’.
“We have to start getting it right.”
Pienaar admits the Sunderland players need to work harder in games if they are to turn around their fortunes this season, with a trip to West Ham United next up for Sunderland.
“I won’t sugarcoat it, we haven’t been playing to our levels,” he added.
“There are no excuses. We need to pull our socks up and work harder.
“When you are in a situation likes this, confidence is low, but it is up to the players, the 18 players in the squad, to fight for everything.
“But, at the moment, we are not doing that, that is why the results are not going our way.
“It is a big challenge. I have had a few rough patches along the line in my career, but this is a challenge I am looking forward to.
“When I came here, I wanted to help the team finish higher than last season. At the moment, it is not going the way we had planned it.
“The only way to get out of it is to work hard, fight and work hard for each other on the field.”
Sunderland have become experts at timing their run to Premier League safety over the past four seasons.
But with Sunderland still without a win, Pienaar knows all too well, the squad cannot rely on again finishing the campaign strongly.
He added: “As a group, we have talked about that.
“Listen, we don’t want to wake up the last 10 games of the season, we want to start picking up points now going into the final 10 games knowing we can play our football and make sure the supporters come to the games without a lot of tension.
“We want to pick up points as early as possible, starting at West Ham. It is a big opportunity for us.
“If we can go there and frustrate them, then the supporters will be on their back.
“It would be a dream day for us. It is about working hard, being stubborn and making sure we keep a clean sheet and if we get one or two chances, to take them.”