Papy picks up pace as Black Cats triumph

The fact that Papy Djilobodji was thrown straight back into a revitalised Sunderland side at the weekend is testament to the improvement he has shown in recent weeks. His performance was pivotal during Sunderland’s 2-1 victory against Leicester City.

The towering Senegalese international, who was shown a red card during the Black Cats’ triumph against Hull City, has largely been regarded as a flop to date. At £8million it would be fair to say his transfer fee flattered the defender during his first run of games in the red and white. His individual errors cost David Moyes’ men points in several of those games and supporters were beginning to lose patience.

Djilobodji – who is one of Sunderland’s most expensive defenders - replaced the well regarded Younes Kaboul. The former Spurs man left a huge hole in the squad after his heroics in helping keep the Black Cats in the Premier League.

The price tag, in tandem with the questionable performances, certainly could not have helped Djilobodji’s cause in making a positive impression. The deal just did not seem to make business sense given the significant cost and his lack of experience over Kaboul.

Yet, recent performances may have just shown why Sunderland made their move.

Moyes seemed to make it clear that he considered his acquisition a diamond in the rough despite Djilobodji’s age and naivety in the ways of the British game. The Scot spoke of the transfer at the time,

“He needs a lot of schooling, and I’ve got an awful lot of work to do on the training ground just to get the Britishness into him. It’s going to take a lot of work.”

However, at the weekend against Leicester City the Senegalese defender looked more comfortable and assured than he has done all season. Perhaps he could have done better for the goal Sunderland conceded but then so could one or two others in the Sunderland side too.

It is not just his defensive abilities that have been effective though. Overall, he enjoyed an 80% pass completion rate, making 23 of those forward. Djilobodji’s delivery of the ball from deep up to Victor Anichebe on the left and the advancing Billy Jones on the right caused problems for the Champions all afternoon.

Sunderland fans do not expect miracles of course. Djilobodji is likely to make further mistakes in the future. But, the fact that he has improved his game in such a short time is perhaps a good omen and proof that the player is keen to develop further from Moyes’ coaching methods.

Whilst Lamine Koné has at times looked a shadow of his former self, alongside Djilobodji there does now appear to be the beginnings of an effective defensive partnership. It is certainly no coincidence that the Black Cats’ run of positive results is in part down to looking far more defensively solid.

It will be interesting to see whether the Djilobodji can maintain the level of performance he has shown in recent weeks for the remainder of the season. If this is the case perhaps Sunderland can once again escape the Premier League trap door.