John O'Shea has called for patience from Sunderland supporters after insisting everything is in place to pick up positive results.
Sunderland defender hoping for improvement in home form
John O'Shea has called for patience from Sunderland supporters after insisting everything is in place for the team to pick up positive results.
Sunderland have won just twice in the Premier League this season and have particularly struggled in front of their own fans, having posted only three victories at the Stadium of Light in 2011.
O'Shea was one of a host of new signings to arrive on Wearside during the summer and believes it will take time for Steve Bruce's side to hit top gear.
However, ahead of Saturday's visit of Bruce's former club Wigan Athletic, former Manchester United defender O'Shea outlined the need to improve at home.
Siege mentality
"It's one of those things," said the 30-year-old. "You have to adapt and cope and deal with it. Nine times out of 10 we were winning at United, and that's not going to be the case at most clubs.
"What we have to do is get that siege mentality for every game. We have shown glimpses of what we can do, but not consistently.
"Away from home we have done quite well. But you are scratching the head about it, thinking we should be taking our chances, especially at home. If you don't score when on top, it will haunt you.
"We had the better chances against Fulham [in last weekend's 0-0 draw], but didn't score. Then the crowd bring in a bit of edginess.
"You look at our home games and maybe we are almost trying too hard for them. The fans are looking for us to bomb on. We want to do that, of course, but you have to be clever. We need patience.
"Getting 40,000 fans here is fantastic. You want that passion. The people here want their team to succeed and they want it sooner rather than later. That is a great pressure to have as a footballer.
"Who wants to be going out thinking, 'This is going to be a nice comfy day'? Here, if you are not pulling your weight, the fans are going to tell you about it and that is the way it should be.
"After being at United so long I would be able to sense if things were not right, if the club wasn't ambitious. Preparations here are perfect.
"The detail is nothing but professional, from the manager to coaches, dieticians and sports scientists. Everything is there for us to do our job. Now we've got to get results."
