Gus Poyet questions mentality ahead of Sunderland v Spurs as Black Cats get 'bigger boost'
Sunderland will host Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
There aren’t too many people more qualified to discuss Sunderland’s home game with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur than Gus Poyet.
The Uruguayan become something of a cult hero during his time as a player with Spurs before going on to spend time on the coaching staff with the North London club. Poyet then had an 18-month spell in charge of Sunderland and helped the Black Cats preserve their Premier League status at the end of the 2013/14 season and guided them into the Capital One Cup final before a Wembley loss against Manchester City ended any thoughts of silverware.
Poyet will keep a close eye on events at the Stadium of Light this weekend as new Spurs head coach Roberto de Zerbi takes charge of his side for the first time since his appointment was confirmed recent - and the former Black Cats boss believes there has to be a change in mentality at his old club if they are to avoid relegation from the Premier League between now and the end of the season.
Poyet speaking with Sunderland Echo via Gambling.com experts in UK Casino, said: From who was available for Spurs to bring in as a Coach, it’s a very smart choice with De Zerbi. He has Premier League experience, he is a top coach and longer term he can do good things at a club like Spurs. Right now, he has to get a response from the players. My view is that it’s the mentality of the players which needs to be right.
“The mentality needs to change and it’s down to the players. Next up is consistency from the players, they must show consistency in the remaining games and De Zerbi can make them achieve both objectives. I expect Spurs to put in a strong performance at Sunderland. Having an away game first can be good for spurs. But it’s a big challenge and for De Zerbi, it’s a case of simplifying things with the players. Simple as that. Keep it simple as these are good players.
Bigger boost
Sunderland are set to receive a major boost ahead of the game as goalkeeper Robin Roefs returns to contention for the first time since a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth in February. Poyet described the Dutch stopper as ‘one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season’ and believes his return is a big boost for his old club.
He said: “This is excellent for Sunderland. A top goalkeeper, he has been excellent this season, making many crucial saves to add more points for the team, he is commanding, he is loved by the fans and being back is a huge boost for the club and adding to the fact the last result was a win over Newcastle, this is an even bigger boost ahead of the rest of the season. So from a Sunderland perspective, they can really play freely to get as many points as possible this season. I would go as far as saying Roefs has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season for sure. Very much underrated.”
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