Luke O’Nien has expressed the importance of continuing from the foundations Sunderland have laid in the opening six games of the season.
The Lads head to Fleetwood Town on Saturday in search of a sixth league win in seven, which would maintain top spot in Sky Bet League One.
“The boys are doing good – we just have to keep building off the platform that we’ve given ourselves,” O’Nien said.
“From front to back I feel we’ve performed really well, so we just have to keep that momentum going. We need to rest up tonight and be fully ready to go tomorrow.
“We know what Fleetwood are about – we’ve played them plenty of times in the past three or four years. They’re a good team, dangerous going forward, and we’ve done our homework on them. We have to respect them, but equally we have a gameplan to implement. We’re there to do a job.”
The midfielder spoke of the positive environment around the whole club as Lee Johnson’s side push on this season, describing Wearside as ‘really enjoyable’.
“Since the start of the season, I think the atmosphere in the dressing room has been very good and all around the place from upstairs to downstairs.
“It’s a really enjoyable place here to be playing football. The young guys have done really well too, and there’s a great feel around the place which we need to work hard to continue.”
This term so far has seen O’Nien revert to the middle of the park at which he feels he can excel, after spending last season in a central defensive role.
“It’s been great, I’m really enjoying it. Playing alongside Dan Neil, learning off Corry Evans and having the forward and defensive players either side of us has made it work really well.
“I have a lot of help around me and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable position to be playing in. The gaffer is helping me develop, so it’s important to just keep building and looking to improve.”