Shad has transformed Sunderland training intensity, says striker Isidor

Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor says the arrival of ex-Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund performance chief Shad Forsythe has transformed the club's training intensity.

- by Phil Smith

Isidor has praised the impact of newly-appointed head of first team performance Forsythe, describing his arrival as a major turning point in the club's Premier League campaign.

Speaking to L'Équipe, Isidor said Forsythe's influence has transformed the team's training standards and physical preparation since joining from Dortmund ahead of the new season.

"The intensity is crazy," Isidor said.

"We're coming off a tough preseason with few wins, then we beat West Ham [United].

"The turning point was that the coach brought us a performance manager [Forsythe], who had been at Arsenal and Dortmund.

"He arrived just before the first league match, and he changed a lot of things in training.

"We're doing a lot more physical training, which the coach integrated into his sessions. We immediately understood that this was what we needed."

Forsythe's appointment, which was announced earlier this month, represents another key step in Sunderland's off-field development under Régis Le Bris and sporting director Florent Ghisolfi.

The American performance expert boasts an elite-level CV, having spent almost two decades with Germany's national team, including during their 2014 World Cup triumph, and eight years at Arsenal, where he worked closely with Arsène Wenger.