Learning curve continues for new Sunderland signing
Sunderland new boy Nyron Nosworthy will continue his Barclays Premiership crash course tonight when he makes his first competitive start at the Stadium of Light against Manchester City.
The 24-year-old was handed his full top-flight debut in the daunting surroundings of Anfield on Saturday, after Stephen Wright’s knee injury led Mick McCarthy to turn to another of his summer acquisitions.
Nosworthy, playing his football in the Coca-Cola Championship with Gillingham when the call came from Wearside, admits that he – like many of his team-mates - is on a sharp learning curve.
“I hope we learn more rather than make mistakes and get punished for them, so we do not have a mountain to climb,” he said.
“I hope we will just defend well and keep it and get in their faces – and because we are at home, we should have the advantage.
“The gaffer has said you cannot afford to give the ball away – because if we give it away, it is coming straight back at us.
“He has told to us to have a bit of confidence and pass the ball around well and keep it and be patient; then you will get a chance.
“We did that quite well in spells at Anfield.”
The Black Cats were encouraged by their display in a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool where they made life difficult for their hosts, although Xabi Alonso’s excellent free-kick condemned them to a 17th successive Premiership defeat and left them still looking for a first point for the season.
Nosworthy’s chance came after Wright damaged knee ligaments in training last week – and he admits he was not expecting to find his way into the team so quickly.
“I was looking for the break but I did not expect it so soon,” he said.
“I was willing to wait and work hard. Now it is just a question of working hard and playing well in the games and -if I set myself a high standard - continuing it for the season.
“There were nerves building up to the game. But once we were there, you have got to really just slow down and calm yourself down.
“You can’t be going out there all butterflies and kicking the ball around, because you make yourself look an idiot.
“That is what you have got to do. That is what I take into every game, whether it is in the Championship or the Premiership.”
With Wright out for 12 weeks, Nosworthy has a real chance to establish himself - although two successive defeats at the start of the campaign have borne out the predictions of the pundits and left Sunderland at the foot of the table.
City followed up their opening-day draw with West Brom by winning well at Birmingham on Saturday.
They will arrive on Wearside brimming with confidence, but Nosworthy warned: “We all want to get three points.
“It is going to be very nice for us to get that on the board, because that gets the talk more positive rather than negative.”
