Sunderland defender Trai Hume makes Carabao Cup stance clear with ‘full throttle’ Brentford vow
Trai Hume has outlined Sunderland’s approach to tonight’s Brentford clash as they balance cup ambitions with the need to improve their league form
Trai Hume insists Sunderland will go “full throttle” against Brentford tonight as they look to turn an encouraging performance against Leeds United into a Carabao Cup victory.
The Black Cats welcome Brentford to the Stadium of Light with Hume clear that their difficult Premier League start and additional European commitments have not diminished their appetite for the competition.
Sunday’s goalless draw against Leeds ended a run of four consecutive league defeats, taking Sunderland to five points from eight matches. However, Hume dismissed any suggestion that the Carabao Cup should be treated as an opportunity to ease off.
“No matter what competition we're playing in, we want to win, and that doesn't matter if it's Europa League, Premier League or Carabao Cup. We want to win games,” Hume said. “Brentford's going to be a tough test. They're a good side, we've already played them at the start of the season, and we were fairly good on the day. When they come to our place, it's going to be another good game. And we're not going to take it easy; we're going to go full throttle and try and win the game.”
Hume’s determination came after Sunderland produced a more resilient display against Leeds in difficult, windy conditions. Brian Brobbey and Nilson Angulo both threatened, but James Trafford’s saves helped ensure the visitors left with a point. Sunderland’s clean sheet nevertheless offered something to build on after their recent defensive difficulties.
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Reflecting on the losing run, Hume acknowledged that the team had fallen short of the standards established last season. “We didn't start the season the way we wanted. We weren't resilient; we weren't defensively strong and were conceding goals even though we were scoring some. That was probably the frustration: that we were creating chances, but at the back we were conceding goals.
“Last season, the opposite was what we prided ourselves on. To get that back, that's a positive to take, but we can still obviously create more chances and score more goals. But it was definitely better to get a point on the board than to lose, but we probably could've got more.”