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Simon Mignolet: Paolo Di Canio is instilling team spirit at Sunderland
PAOLO DI CANIO has spent his first days at Sunderland attempting to instil a team spirit on and off the pitch, according to keeper Simon Mignolet.
The Italian inherited a squad bereft of confidence after an eight-game winless run and only goal difference keeps them out the Premier League relegation zone.
But ahead of Sunday's huge derby with Newcastle, Belgian stopper Mignolet says the focus has been on doing things as a group - and not as individuals.
Mignolet said: "He wants us to be all together as a unit, so if we go out on to the training pitch, he wants us to go out all together.
"If we eat, he wants us to eat all together and I think that's a good thing. It's similar to what I know with the Belgian national team.
"He wants us to do everything together, just the same as his tactical work he does on the pitch.
"He wants us to move as a group - as a unit - and he wants us to win games not by individuals, but as a whole team."
If we eat, he wants us to eat all together and I think that's a good thing
Di Canio claimed players' fitness levels were not up to scratch under the man he replaced, Martin O'Neill, and immediately brought in four new members of coaching staff.
Mignolet and his fellow goalkeepers are now adapting to life under Domenico Doardo.
The highly-rated Sunderland No1 said: "I had the same when Steve Bruce left the club as well. When Seamus [McDonagh] came in, we worked well together. Now Domenico has come in.
"In the first week you have to adapt to each other and you have to learn what his thoughts are and he what your thoughts are.
"But for me personally, I am not the most difficult guy to work with so we adapted fairly easily."