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“Jobe puts in tough tackles every game, and I really feel for him but i think he doesn’t owe anyone an apology because…..”- Black Cats defender Luke O’Nien give a clear and convincing verdict why Jobe Bellingham didn’t need to apologize after reckless tackles that leads to his suspension for three matches
Defender Luke O’Nien praised Sunderland’s defensive organization after their 0-0 draw at QPR on Saturday. Régis Le Bris’ side secured their eighth clean sheet in 13 matches, earning a valuable point despite being reduced to 10 men following Jobe Bellingham’s red card for a dangerous tackle.
Bellingham’s dismissal means he will be suspended for the next three matches, but speaking to safc.com, O’Nien shared his thoughts on the game.
“We’re disappointed not to take all three points, but given the circumstances—especially going down to 10 men for such a long period—it’s an important point,” O’Nien said. “It all adds up over the course of the season. I’m really proud of the lads for digging deep, and it could be a crucial point come the end of the season.”
He went on to praise the team’s defensive efforts: “We’ve been very solid defensively. A lot of credit goes to Ally [Alessandro Barcherini], our goalkeeping coach. Simon [Moore] has come in, adapted well, and made everyone feel really comfortable. There’s a lot of work done on our defensive structure throughout the week, and we definitely needed that today.”
On Bellingham’s red card, O’Nien added: “Jobe’s always putting in big tackles, and he does that every game. I feel for him, and he doesn’t even need to apologize. I’ve got a lot of love for him. He plays with great intensity, and his quality on the ball is superb. We’ll miss him next week, but he’ll be back soon.”
Looking ahead, Sunderland face Preston North End on Wednesday. O’Nien reflected on the quick turnaround: “Last week’s performance against Oxford was very good, but we were straight back in to review it. The gaffer always focuses on our defensive system, and there’s still plenty to work on. This game will be a good one to analyze because I don’t think we found the flow we’ve had in previous games. We need to figure out why that was and improve ahead of Wednesday.”
