Exclusive:Nicklas Bendtner makes Régis Le Bris claim as Granit Xhaka and Brian Brobbey verdicts delivered
Former Sunderland striker Nicklas Bendtner was impressed by the Black Cats’ Premier League return
Nicklas Bendtner has praised Régis Le Bris’ impact at Sunderland and believes Granit Xhaka has played a key role in helping the Black Cats make a successful return to the Premier League.
The former Sunderland striker, who spent the 2011-12 season on loan at the Stadium of Light from Arsenal, has been keeping a close eye on his old club this season ahead of his return to Wearside for the Ronaldinho and Friends match last month. Sunderland enjoyed an impressive first campaign back in the top flight, qualifying for the Europa League under Le Bris.
Bendtner says the scale of Sunderland’s summer rebuild made their progress even more impressive, with the Dane pointing to the club’s togetherness, work ethic and the influence of Xhaka in midfield. Asked what he had made of Le Bris’ work, Bendtner told The Echo: “I think they signed, was it 14 or 16 new players this season, and they have sort of just like clicked and got like so many great results.
“But through hard work, sometimes good play, but like the dedication and the hard work and getting Xhaka in there to sort of be the main man, distributing the balls from the midfield, but then also having that individual quality in some of the players further up the pitch.
“And then Sunderland just playing like a team that has been really, really great to watch. That’s sort of the things you hope you can get. But this Premier League season has also been really interesting, with Bournemouth and Brentford, Brighton, Aston Villa, and many teams doing really well. And the Premier League, for me, has just become more and more competitive. I think that’s also why we don’t see those high-scoring league winners as we have in previous years, because it’s just getting better. And Sunderland has been doing really, really well this season.”
Xhaka’s arrival has been one of Sunderland’s biggest statements since promotion, with the former Arsenal midfielder bringing vast Premier League, Bundesliga and international experience to Le Bris’ side. Bendtner knows Xhaka from their shared Arsenal connection and believes the Switzerland international’s leadership and quality on the ball have been hugely important.
“I think it means a lot,” Bendtner said. “He’s been a captain most of the places he has been. He’s a natural winner. He’s good on the ball. He’s good at distributing the ball. And he’s been at Arsenal for a long period of time. Then he came to the Bundesliga, won with Leverkusen, and then coming back to Sunderland. That just shows the character the guy has. He’s a great lad.”
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Bendtner also offered his verdict on Brian Brobbey, who has provided Sunderland with a powerful focal point in attack during their first season back in the Premier League. While the former Ajax striker’s game is not always about finesse, Bendtner believes his physicality and hold-up play make him a valuable asset for the team.
“No, but he’s good at using his body,” Bendtner said. “He’s good at the hold-up play. And that helps the team a lot. I think the world at the moment is lacking strikers, especially the big guys. We’ve seen that classic nine, and he comes in under that category. So if he can keep building on his game, then he can be a real player.”