Zenden wants City break
Bolo Zenden is targeting his first league start of the season against mega-rich Manchester City on Sunday.
The Dutchman didn't do his chances any harm at all by making a positive impact after coming on as a substitute in last weekend's 1-0 loss at West Brom, before creating both goals in the Wearsiders' 2-0 Carling Cup triumph at home to Colchester.
Manager Steve Bruce replaced the midfielder after 66 minutes on Tuesday night, perhaps a hint that he may start on Sunday.
"I don't know whether the manager took me off for that reason," he said. "I haven't spoken to him about it, but it is a nice thought.
"Whenever you come off, you're not too happy but if it is because I am playing on Sunday then it will have been worth it.
"I was pleased to start against Colchester even if I was a little disappointed not to finish the game.
"It was one of those matches where I could have done with 90 minutes to work on my match fitness.
"You can train as much as you like but playing in games is what is important to get experience of having the other players around you. It's also important for match fitness."
Zenden reckons Sunday's visitors to the Stadium of Light are heading for the top of the English game, but will need time to build a team in the way that Jose Mourinho did at Chelsea.
City's Italian boss Roberto Mancini has got off to a strong start this season, his expensively-built side humbling Liverpool 3-0 on Monday before last night's Europa League victory over Timisoara.
The club's Abu Dhabi-based owner Sheikh Mansour will expect his 300million-plus transfer investment to be repaid in silverware but Zenden sees parallels with developments at Chelsea when Roman Abramavich started to splash the cash.
Zenden said: "They've spent a few pounds over the summer and brought in some terrific players.
"But it's not just about signing players – you have to build a team.
"If you remember at Chelsea a few years ago, a lot of players came in but it needed Jose Mourinho to make them into a team, make them believe and make them play well.
"That's what Roberto Mancini has to do, and at the moment the signs are really good. They've got a threat up front in Carlos Tevez, and then they have some players at the back and in the middle who are prepared to do the dirty work.
"I saw their game against Liverpool on TV and they look a very strong team."
Zenden cost Chelsea 7.5m in 2001 and left Chelsea to join Middlesbrough three years later during the same summer that Mourinho was recruited.
That's in the past and now the 34-year-old is concentrating on pinning down a regular place at Sunderland.
Zenden has been made club captain by boss Bruce and feels he is in a better position to contribute to the team this season than when he arrived as a free agent last October.
He added: "This time round, I've had a proper pre-season and I've been with the lads from the start. The only thing you can do as a player is to make it as difficult as possible for the manager to make his decisions.
"He can only play 11 players and we have a squad of 22, so it is not always easy. You train all week in order to be ready for Saturday, so if you don't get a game then of course you're not very happy.
"But I think the manager appreciates that because if you've got a player who is satisfied just to be on the bench, that isn't the right situation either."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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