Bramble: I'm loving it!
Titus Bramble is thrilled with the welcome Sunderland fans have given him since joining in a £1m move from Wigan Athletic in the summer.
And he says he has been delighted to give them a quick payback with a string of impressive performances already this season.
Bramble has been one of Sunderland's stand-out performers so far – a point made forcibly by manager Steve Bruce – and the centre-half topped off his performances by being named man-of-the-match in Sunday's 1-0 win over Manchester City.
The 28-year-old defender said: "The fans have been great ever since I got here and I want to repay them for that
"I always said when I came here that it was up to me to prove myself as a Sunderland player out on the pitch and things have gone pretty well for me so far.
"I still think I need a few games to be at my best, but I've settled in well and it has been everything I'd hoped for when I decided I wanted to come here.
"It's an excellent club and I'm really enjoying it. You can talk as much as you want, but fans are going to warm to you if they see you are playing well on a matchday.
"That's all that matters.
"I was happy to be named man-of-the-match against Manchester City, but the result was the most important thing.
"Obviously you want to play well for a new club and if I can carry on like this, I'll be happy."
Bramble was not particularly unhappy at Wigan, where Steve Bruce revived his career after an inconsistent and often unhappy four years at Newcastle.
But when news of Sunderland's keeness to sign him emerged, he relished the prospect of moving to the Stadium of Light. "I think I needed this move," he reflected.
"It was a challenge because some people would have had a certain view of me after my time at Newcastle, but I wanted that and I'm excited about what we can achieve this season.
"We have some really good players here and if we can get some better luck with injuries, I don't see why we can't push for a European place.
"Of course, getting a win over a team like Manchester City helps give everyone a lift, the sort of performance and result which boosts confidence. We have a platform to build on now and hopefully we can go to Wigan after the international break and get something from that game as well.
"I know the away form was a problem last season for Sunderland and I've already been part of one poor performance on the road and I don't want another, especially as it's against the manager's and my former club.
"We were bad against West Brom and it just wasn't good enough really. We have shown how well we can play against Manchester City – now we have to maintain those standards."
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
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