Granit Xhaka sends brutally honest Sunderland message as fans make feelings clear after Bournemouth defeat
Granit Xhaka has issued a blunt message after Sunderland's Bournemouth defeat, sparking a frustrated response from supporters
Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has admitted the Black Cats are not performing well enough and called for the players to take responsibility following Sunday's disappointing defeat to Bournemouth.
Régis Le Bris' side suffered their fourth successive Premier League defeat at the Vitality Stadium, with defensive mistakes again proving costly as the hosts secured a comfortable victory. Sunderland's difficult start to the campaign has come as a major disappointment following last season's remarkable seventh-place finish, which secured European qualification.
Xhaka, who was appointed captain following his arrival at the club last summer, took to Instagram after the game to deliver a frank assessment of Sunderland's current situation. He said: "There's no point in hiding from the truth. We're not good enough right now, and we have to take responsibility," the midfielder wrote.
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His comments prompted a significant response from supporters, many of whom expressed frustration at hearing similar messages following recent defeats. One supporter replied: "How many weeks are you going to say this? Move away from social media and fix it." Another comment, which attracted more than 1,300 likes, simply read: "The weekly words." A third supporter added: "We want actions not words, Granit mate."
Another questioned the team's performances and Le Bris' selections, writing: "Same status, different week," before suggesting there was a lack of fight in the squad and raising concerns about Chemsdine Talbi's continued absence from the starting XI.
However, other supporters offered encouragement and urged the players to rediscover the qualities that made Sunderland so successful last season. "We need the fight back from last season. We know every single one of that team has it. We have to find it and ASAP," one supporter wrote.
The reaction underlined the growing frustration surrounding Sunderland's performances, with the Black Cats struggling to reproduce the intensity and defensive organisation that proved so important last season. Xhaka's message also followed similarly frank assessments from teammates Robin Roefs and Nordi Mukiele, who both acknowledged that Sunderland's performances needed to improve. The Black Cats now face Lech Poznań in the Europa League on Thursday before returning to Premier League action against Leeds United at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.