Teemu Tainio: This is the time to save our season

May 17 2009 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

Sunderland have won just one of their last 11 Premier League games but, after dismal performances in defeats at West Brom and at home to Everton recently, they turned in a much-improved display to earn a precious point with a goalless draw at Bolton last weekend.

The 4-5-1 system deployed by boss Ricky Sbragia worked a treat at the Reebok Stadium and he will stick with the same formation for the trip to Fratton Park.

Tainio said: “Mostly we’ve used 4-4-2 this season but at Bolton we tried 4-5-1 and it worked well. I don’t mind which system we use, but for a midfielder it is of course slightly easier if you have an extra body in there!

“After two poor games it was very important to get it right against Bolton. It was good for the team and for the confidence of the team to play well and get a point, even though we didn’t get the win we wanted and thought we deserved.

In the first half we played probably some of the best football we have played all season – all that was missing was a goal.

“We did create chances but sometimes they go in and sometimes they don’t – unfortunately they didn’t. But afterwards, the mood was very positive in the dressing room.

“As far as tomorrow goes, Portsmouth are quite physical and they are a very experienced side.

“We have to match them on the physical side and then try to keep the ball like we did at Bolton.”

Tainio’s debut season with Sunderland has been badly disrupted by injury, with a spate of relatively minor problems sidelining him for weeks at a time and as a result, he has played in only 19 of Sunderland’s 36 games so far.

Yet he has still been a key figure in the Black Cats’ season, as those 19 games have yielded 25 of the club’s 36 points to date.

He said: “This has been the worst season of my career for injuries. There has been nothing major but just annoying, silly injuries – a shoulder problem, a knee injury and a few other things – which have kept me out for a lot longer than they should have.

“It’s been so frustrating.

“It’s my first season here at Sunderland but I will wait to see whether we are safe before I say whether it has been enjoyable or not!

“I have settled in well with my family, though. I’m happy here and hopefully I can help the club kick on next season.”