'The feeling is...' - Sunderland coach opens up on how squad are responding to 'pressure' of promotion push

Sunderland goalkeeping coach Alessandro Barcherini has claimed that the Black Cats’ young squad are enjoying the pressure of a Championship promotion push this season.

Regis Le Bris’ men currently sit top of the table after 15 matches, and have caught the eye with a string of impressive performances. They also happen to boast one of the most youthful sides in the second tier, with teenage talents such as Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham playing notable roles in their early success this term.

But Barcherini maintains that despite their relative inexperience, the dressing room is relishing the prospect of a charge towards the Premier League in the coming months. Speaking to goalkeeper.com, he said: “The feeling inside [the club] is that the players enjoy it. So whether that's them feeling the extra pressure, but actually embracing it, or whether they don't necessarily feel the pressure and they just enjoy coming to work every day. It's hard to put your finger on.

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“The environment that's been created, and this project at Sunderland started before I arrived, is really clear that it is a project. They want to bring young players in and ensure that the environment is really, really good. “That's set right the way from the owner, right the way through to the academy, that they want to ensure that the players are enjoying the journey and they know that it's not the fastest route to get to the top. There's a clear plan in place and I think the players that come into that feel that straight away.”

Barcherini also went on to explain his own role in Le Bris’ coaching set-up, and how the Frenchman is keen to nurture the individuality of his players. He added: “I actually lead on [goalkeeper restarts] with the team and we have a real clear process of what we're going to do going into the game and then the game we’ll play. 

“Then every game they'll do a review with me and the other coaches to offer their thoughts and opinions, but I'll lead on that. It is very much a learning process, where we have that plan and there is an expectation on the goalkeeper to do certain things and I always say just play what you see. 

“We can give you an idea, but you're the one who's out there on the pitch. Listen, it’s not FIFA, we're not controlling you, and there's been times where we get wrapped up in that. There are times where we only think about the pattern and we don't actually exploit the space that's been left by the opponent. And so what we're trying to create here is an environment where they can make decisions for themselves.”