'Videos don’t lie': Sunderland midfielder discusses spell out of team after honest chats with Mike Dodds

Pierre Ekwah says he was able to see the game differently during a spell out of the team - following some honest conversations with interim head coach Mike Dodds.

The 22-year-old midfielder has started 34 league games for the Black Cats this season, yet dropped to the bench for matches against Southampton and QPR last month. Dodds has said he’s had honest conversations with Ekwah about the player’s performances, insisting the Frenchman has huge potential.

When asked about those conversations, Ekwah told the Echo: “It’s between the gaffer and me so I’m keeping things personal. We had a good conversation, I would say.”

Still, the midfielder admits he was able to learn from his spell out of the side, starting the team’s last four matches following Sunderland’s goalless draw against QPR.

“I would say you see the game differently,” explained Ekwah. “When you play and are on the pitch sometimes you don’t know what you are doing good and what you are doing wrong. When you come out of the team and see games from the bench or see the video you know what to do when you’re coming back.

“After every game whether it’s me personally or whether it’s with the coaches we still work on loads of videos, because the videos don’t lie. Whatever you have done on the pitch, or if you haven’t done it, the videos will tell you and it’s great to get better each day.”

Sunderland have four league games remaining this season following their goalless draw against Leeds, with the Black Cats unable to make the play-offs. Still, Ekwah doesn’t want the team’s standards to drop in the final weeks of the campaign.

“You can’t turn up and not try to win,” he added. “I don’t know which game you can do that but we don’t do that here with Sunderland. For every game we are trying to win.”

“We can’t get in the play-offs, yeah that’s right but we are still going out there and the fans are still going to support us. Obviously we are trying to win every game and play with our heart.”