Jermain Defoe urges Sunderland team-mates to stick together
Sunday 30 October 2016 13:56, UK
Jermain Defoe says his team-mates need to stick together after defeat to Arsenal confirmed Sunderland as having the lowest points tally at this stage of the season in Premier League history.
Saturday's 4-1 home defeat by Arsenal left the Black Cats rooted to the bottom of the table without a win with only two points from their opening 10 games, a feat matched only by Manchester City in the 1995-1996 campaign.
They were booed from the pitch on the final whistle after conceding three goals inside seven second-half minutes to leave manager David Moyes under increasing pressure barely three months into his reign.
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However, 34-year-old Defoe remained confident despite another difficult game on Saturday and insisted the club's plight was not getting him down.
"No, not really because I always look forward to the next game," the striker said. "I'm a person that even when you are scoring goals, you always look forward to the next game because you want to keep it going"
"If you play games where you miss chances, you think, 'I just want the next game to come around so I can put things right, I want to score in the next game'.
"That's the good thing about football, it's always the next game. Even when you are playing well, the next game comes around so quickly and you can just look forward to it.
"That's the mentality we have got to have, just 'Okay, forget about today, the next game', and I'm sure the manager is thinking the same. We prepare for the next game.
"There's a lot of football to be played, there's a long way to go. You have got to be strong, you have got to stick together, be strong and turn it around."
Despite England manager Gareth Southgate attending Saturday's game, Defoe insisted with 19th-placed Sunderland seven points adrift from safety a return to international football was not on his agenda.
"I'm not even worried about that," added the striker. "To be honest, there's no point in me even thinking about that because even last season all the goals I scored, I still didn't get a call-up.
"So I'm not even bothered about that, to be honest, because there's no more I can do really.
"I just want to focus on my club. Obviously I'll never turn my back on England because it's my country and I love playing for my country, but first and foremost, I just want to score goals here and help the team, help the players and hopefully we can get that first win."
Sunderland travel to Bournemouth on Saturday ahead of an international break.
