Sunderland's Lamine Kone is 'a proper centre-half', says Sam Allardyce
Friday 29 April 2016 11:41, UK
Sam Allardyce has described Sunderland defender Lamine Kone as a "proper centre-half".
Ivory Coast international Kone, a January signing from Lorient, has been a major hit on Wearside and has contributed to three clean sheets in the last four games as the Black Cats battle to avoid relegation.
The 27-year-old has linked up well with Younes Kaboul at the heart of the Sunderland defence with the experienced John O'Shea kept out of the team.
Sunderland boss Allardyce said: "He's a proper centre-half who knows how to defend. Whoever has brought him up and coached him has coached him how to defend, not come sweeping out of the back with the ball and play this pass and that pass.
"All that rubbish that pundits go on about, saying, 'he's a good centre-half because he comes out of the back with the ball and passes it' - he's there to defend.
"Defenders are there to defend, their first job is to defend and then play after, and if they can't defend, then they can't play at centre-half, certainly not at the top level or at international level because every international team that wins any tournament or any team that wins a league has really good defenders and has more clean sheets than anybody else.
"He's a really good defender, senses danger, enjoys defending as well, and plays a very simple, very effective basic game, and that looks extremely good and makes him look extremely talented both in and out of possession."
Allardyce will be hoping for another clean sheet when his side travel to the Britannia Stadium to take on out-of-form Stoke on Saturday.
However, Allardyce is expecting a tough test from Mark Hughes' side as they attempt to bounce back from a run of three successive defeats in each of which they have conceded four goals.
He said: "I think there's been a little bit too much emphasis on the switching-off scenario because for me, it's the list of injuries that's the big problem for Mark. I have known Mark for years and I have never known him take it easy on his players, ever.
"For us, it's trying to achieve as many wins as we can as quickly as we can and not have to rely on the last game now, if we possibly can.
"If we won the next three games, we wouldn't have to rely on Watford [on the last day] - and we could be capable of winning them if we play our best."
