Kristjaan Speakman delivers verdict on Sunderland's Premier League start and what he thought was 'incredible'

Kristjaan Speakman says Sunderland are 'really pleased' with their start to the Premier League campaign.

The Black Cats return to action at Crystal Palace on Saturday having won two of their opening three fixtures since winning promotion from the Championship. While wary that it is still very early days in the campaign, Speakman says the club are encouraged by the composure that the team have shown to date.

"Yeah, I think in general, we've been really pleased with the performances," Speakman said.

"It's a different context, I think, for a newly promoted team and maybe even more so for Sunderland. For our boys to go out against West Ham in the opening game of the season, it's not just a Premier League game, that's a big occasion. Those players understand how important that game is, outside of it just being a game for the club and for the city and for everything that's been attached to Sunderland over the last eight, ten years. So you're not just playing a regular game. And I think for them to come out and play in such a composed manner, to execute the game plan in really an environment that maybe you could come up with a lot of reasons and excuses not to, is really pleasing for everyone here. And I think it shows the calibre of the players and the work that they put in. Doing that at home in front of a great crowd and great atmosphere gives you a lot of confidence, a lot of motivation.

"So they've carried that through the next two games. Obviously, the Burnley game is difficult because you then go to the opposite. You go to Burnley and it’s their day back in the Premier League, if you like. So they get an extra 10% [as we did against West Ham]. And like I said, we would have liked to have done better in the game with the outcome and the way the game went in the second half. But you've got to be able to bounce back in the Premier League quickly.

"And I think you saw that from the squad to be able to come to the Brentford game. And again, in the Brentford game, so many twists and turns in the game but the team stayed composed. We've seen it throughout the last two seasons. When the big moments come, our team delivers. And hopefully we can continue that."

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Kristjaan Speakman sends message to Sunderland fans after back-to-back home league wins

Speakman also hailed the fans for their 'incredible' contribution to the opening-day win over West Ham United in particular, and says that backing will be key to the club's survival hopes.

"The opening game was incredible," he said.

"You know, I think the environment at the stadium... the team behind the scenes did a fantastic job to try to, I think, create the best environment for the supporters. The supporters came out in numbers and the atmosphere was incredible. It gives the team the best chance and then you're looking at the quality of the team and we think that we've seen what the potential of those players is and those players will only get better. You know, if we keep supporting them at the training ground with all the programmes we're doing and those supporters home and away will be supporting the team. I think there's a strong connection. We've pushed really hard with all the new players to understand the club, the culture, the city. I think you can see the start point, they understand what they're playing for and who they're playing for."

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