Cats could be victims of success - Zenden

SUNDERLAND have been warned that teams will have a different approach when they do battle in the second half of the season, with the Wearsiders “making a name for themselves” in the first part of the campaign.

- By MATTY HEWITT Football writer

That’s according to former Black Cats midfielder Bolo Zenden, who has heaped praise on Regis Le Bris following their promotion from the Championship.

The ex-Dutch international believes Sunderland are safe from the threat of relegation, having taken 27 points from their opening 17 games.

Speaking to The Journal via Poker Scout, Zenden said: “I've been very impressed but also surprised because they came up through the playoffs. When a team goes up, the first and foremost objective is to stay up. That's the hard thing to do.

“They've spent some money in the summer, but that doesn’t guarantee you results and good football. It needs time to gel.