Kevin Kilbane has been discussing Sunderland’s strong start to the Premier League campaign

Former Sunderland midfielder Kevin Kilbane has praised how quickly the club's new-look squad have come together since a busy summer transfer window.

While warning that the club still have a lot of work to beat relegation the season, the former Republic of Ireland international says they have put themselves in a strong position and have the character required to compete at the top level.

“Sunderland’s fast start to the season has caught me off guard a little bit, and that’s not because I didn’t believe in their players," Kilbane told The Echo, speaking via Best New Bingo Sites.

“It’s because I didn’t think they would show this level of togetherness so fast after such a huge turnover of players in the summer. However, in the Premier League, one defeat can see you spiral and struggle for points for the next month or two, and then the fans lose faith in you, which never helps. But from what I’ve seen so far, the squad looks full of character, and I am impressed with what I am seeing. I don’t think anybody is safe in the Premier League outside of those top six or eight teams until they can’t mathematically get relegated. You have to look at the start of the season that Wolves have had and fancy them to go down this season. But, for me, despite success in recent years, teams like Brighton and Brentford could quite easily be relegated this season.

“Also, it’s not easy to be a yo-yo club. Look at what happened to Luton last season, back-to-back relegations and now they are mid-table in League One 18 months after competing in the Premier League. It’s difficult to retain Premier League status.

“I do think Wolves will go down, Burnley as well, but I could easily offer 10 other teams that will struggle in the Premier League this season. Sunderland would be one of those 10 teams, but after the strong start they’ve had, they are in a strong position to survive. If their form continues, they should have a good number of points on the board before the Christmas period. That is when the fixtures come thick and fast and the weaker teams typically struggle.”

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Kilbane: Granit Xhaka has been invaluable for Sunderland

Kilbane also praised Granit Xhaka for his impact on the club since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

"I think Granit Xhaka has been very impressive so far in a Sunderland shirt,” Kilbane said.

“I think he was a really important signing for Sunderland, and he has really settled everybody on the pitch. He might not be quite the player he was five years ago, but his leadership and ability is invaluable for Sunderland. I watched him a lot in Germany when he was playing for Bayer Leverkusen, and the influence he had over that brilliant side was incredible. He has a wealth of experience at the highest levels of football, including almost 140 caps for Switzerland. Xhaka was a huge signing for Sunderland to get over the line this summer.

“I didn’t know what to expect when he signed for the club, but he has quickly become the glue of the team. I have been really impressed by him so far this season.”

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