Source: Telegraph
Pressure mounting at Sunderland: Lorik Cana
Cana spoke out after Sunderland were denied their first Premier League win since last November thanks to a last-gasp equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Portsmouth on Tuesday in what he called the "biggest disappointment of the season". [LNB]Sunderland will be out of action this weekend and Cana is hoping that Steve Bruce's team can use the time wisely to re-group in time for their visit to Arsenal the following Saturday. [LNB]Premier League Round-up: Liverpool beat Hull and Chelsea see off West Ham"There is a lot of pressure on us, but we are proud to be professionals and to play for this club and must go and show that," Cana said. [LNB]"We have a free weekend and maybe that is good. It is a hard season in the Premier League and now we can think about what has happened. [LNB]"We have a very difficult game after that at Arsenal and then another big home game against Fulham (Sunday, Feb 28)." [LNB]Sunderland have not won in the league since they beat Arsenal at the Stadium of Light, but Cana believes their long wait for a victory should have come at Portsmouth until Aruna Dindane cancelled out Darren Bent's first-half penalty deep into stoppage time at Fratton Park. [LNB]The hosts had been reduced to 10 men when Ricardo Rocha was sent off early on for bringing down Bent for the spot-kick, but Sunderland lost momentum when Lee Cattermole was dismissed following a reckless challenge and he was later followed down the tunnel by David Meyler who was ordered off for violent conduct. [LNB]"If we had stayed 11 players against 10, it is impossible for Portsmouth to score," Cana said. [LNB]"We just had to play the game with discipline, keep the ball and the chances would come. [LNB]"After the red card for Catts the game changed. It was the biggest disappointment of the season and it was our fault. [LNB]"I was not in a good position to see if Catts deserved to be sent off, but it happened and a game we should have been able to win has ended with only a draw." [LNB]Cana will be glad to see the back of Portsmouth, who also knocked his team out of the FA Cup last month. [LNB]"We have had two games in the league now against Portsmouth and conceded equalisers in injury-time in both games," Cana said. [LNB]"Four points have been thrown away and they make a big difference. There are still 13 games to play and our season is not finished. It can improve or it can stay difficult." [LNB]
