00:00Sunderland's rebuild for life in the Premier League has, at present, defied the odds.
00:0614 new signings in the summer have come into the squad and settled well into life on Wearside.
00:11But what is more remarkable is the diversity of age and experience they now have in the set-up,
00:17which they did not previously boast.
00:21In recent times, Sunderland's model has very much been about buying and promoting youth
00:26and, in fairness to them, it worked in getting the club out of League One and then out of the Championship.
00:31The Premier League is, of course, a different animal entirely, though.
00:34And, whilst the young players they have were all talented, the club knew it would not be enough.
00:40Perhaps the most obvious nod to this was the signing of Granit Xhaka, the former Arsenal midfielder,
00:45who had recently won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and was in his 30s.
00:51He was made captain of the side and has led Sunderland to two wins in the top flight so far.
00:56His know-how and leadership qualities, as well as his technical ability,
01:00is what Sunderland needed to give them the best chance of coping with the challenges of the top flight.
01:06Xhaka's CV isn't in doubt, but LeBrice revealed just why he was chosen to be the plug-in and play for Sunderland's midfield.
01:15What is evidently clear is that Xhaka himself has taken well to the supporters at the Stadium of Light
01:24and, in turn, they have taken well to him.
01:28Many on Wearside may have seen it as something of a coup
01:31that the Black Cats were the club who were able to get the signature of Granit Xhaka this summer,
01:37given everything that he, as a player, has experienced and won in the game during his career.
01:45I think many teams, even in the Premier League, would be happy to sign Granit Xhaka.
01:51So, when we had the opportunity, it was an obvious choice.
01:57And the way we are experiencing his presence in Sunderland confirms this, this idea.
02:06Playing at that level for so many years and with his standards, the way he behaves every day, it's really impressive.
02:15And just looking at the forward department as well, you've got obviously Eliza, you've got Wilson, you've got Brian.
02:20How competitive are the training sessions between all of those three, trying to advise for your selection?
02:25We need competition to help the players to stay alert.
02:30Because if you relax just a bit, you have your teammates to recall you that could be difficult for the future.
02:40So, it's important for them every day, but for the squad as well, because across 38 games like that,
02:50we can't maintain the level with only one. So, it's important to have depth in the squad.
02:55And on the Premier League itself, whilst Labrie said that Sunderland still have a long way to go to be fully established in the top flight,
03:03he thinks that the challenges and experience of playing in this league are positive for the club.
03:08Just on the Premier League again, you mentioned that, obviously, you're not quite feeling part of it yet because we're only a few games in,
03:14but just how much are you enjoying the challenge that it brings and the experience of everything?
03:19Yeah, so it's really positive and exciting because we are playing in the best league in the world.
03:26So, every new game, it's a new challenge and something to solve, something to achieve with really good players.
03:36And so, as a coach, I enjoy this experience.
03:40I think it's part of the journey in the Premier League and we accept that.
03:45I think it's important to show the identity of the club, to give some insight about the way we are training,
03:54the way the players behave every day.
03:59So, I think it's part of our job now.
04:02But at the same time, we need to stay focused on football.
04:06The Premier League will still likely throw up many twists and turns for Sunderland
04:11and not all of them will fall in the right way for the Black Cats.
04:15But knowing how to bounce back from those moments will be key, however, in maintaining their top flight status.
04:21Against Nottingham Forest, Sunderland will come up against a club who a few years ago
04:26entered the Premier League via the playoffs in the Championship
04:28and who are now in a European competition.
04:31All on Wearside will hope that Sunderland can follow their blueprint for growth and success
04:37in the years and months ahead.
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