Talbi says the Swiss star brings vital experience as Sunderland prepare to face Real Betis on Saturday
Chemsdine Talbi believes Granit Xhaka’s arrival will give Sunderland the experience and leadership they need to thrive in the Premier League – as the Black Cats prepare for the final stretch of their pre-season schedule.
Sunderland travel to the Stadium of Light this Saturday to host La Liga side Real Betis, the third-to-last warm-up fixture before their top-flight curtain-raiser against West Ham on August 16.
And Talbi says new signing Xhaka, a £17.5million arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, is already making a positive impact behind the scenes.
‘He will bring a lot of experience’
"He's a good player,” Talbi said after Sunderland’s 2-1 defeat at Hull City last weekend. “I think he will bring a lot of experience to the team that I think we need, and I'm really excited to play with him.”
The 20-year-old winger joined Sunderland this summer and is among several young players tipped to play a major role in the Black Cats’ Premier League push. But he stressed that this squad isn’t short on experience – and that the mix is now right.
Youthful squad not lacking in know-how
“Now, this generation, we are a lot of young guys, and we play big games, so it's not about the age,” Talbi said. “I think it's really the experience that you get in the other club.
“Yes, we have a lot of experience. We are young, but I think we have a lot of experience, and also other players have this experience also. The players who came, like Reinildo, have a lot of experience, so I think it's a good mix between both.”
Premier League nerves – and belief
Talbi admitted there are nerves heading into the new campaign, but said Sunderland must focus on executing their own game and staying efficient in the face of elite opposition.
“For sure (it scares me),” he said. “The Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world, so I've played a few games against top teams in the Premier League.
“I’m really excited to play these games, and we hope we're getting good results. If you play against really top teams, you need to be efficient, so you will not get a lot of chances. We need to be compact and get the counter-attacks. We need to keep the ball and, as I say, we need to be efficient.”
Talbi settling in well – and praise for O’Nien
Speaking about his early weeks on Wearside, Talbi praised the club environment and expressed his determination to adapt quickly.
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“Most of the players speak English, but I try to do my best to speak English, for sure. I'm a guy who likes other people. I want to learn from other people in the UK, so I'm really happy to see the last few weeks.”
And on Luke O’Nien, who is working his way back from a minor injury, Talbi added: “He's a really good guy. He's a character with me now, but he's really a good guy, and we hope to see him back on the pitch.”
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