![\"John](\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg\" "\\"Ghana")
<\/a><\/p>\nJohn Mensah tackling Arsenal star Nasri during last week’s Premier League<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
John Mensah is glad Sunderland are being worked hard during their fortnight\u2019s break after being left in \u201choliday mode\u201d following their last lull in Premier League action.<\/p>\n
Sunderland\u2019s first-team squad have been in training every day this week and face a practice match tomorrow morning with the Black Cats not in action again until the visit of Liverpool on Sunday week.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a far cry from the schedule during their last two-week break from the Premier League when boss Steve Bruce allowed the players to recharge their batteries abroad.<\/p>\n
The result was a hapless 2-0 defeat at Everton, with Mensah today confessing the players had lost their focus in the run-up to the trip to Goodison Park.<\/p>\n
Mensah told the Echo: \u201cThe manager has spoken a lot about the time off which he gave us which wasn\u2019t too good.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we came back, everyone was still in holiday mode and relaxing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to have it in our mind that we still have nine matches to play and we have to keep concentrating.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s for our benefit to keep working hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mensah has more reason than most to wish Sunderland faced a competitive game this weekend.<\/p>\n
The Ghanaian skipper has started each of Sunderland\u2019s last four outings after recovering from a twisted ankle and only needs one more game to register his longest run of the season in the side.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to keep playing so I\u2019m a bit disappointed that there\u2019s two weeks without a game,\u201d said the 28-year-old.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more you play, the better you get.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t play a lot it\u2019s difficult and hard when you\u2019re coming back from injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019ve had no complications with injury since coming back which has helped me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good that I showed some form at Arsenal and I hope I can continue playing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Centre-half Mensah helped Sunderland notch their 12th clean sheet of the season at Arsenal last weekend, although it was their first shut-out since January.<\/p>\n
The back four showed a marked improvement from the defeat at Everton seven days earlier and Mensah hopes the draw sparked Sunderland out of their worst slump of the campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good that we restored some confidence by getting a point at Arsenal,\u201d added the on-loan Lyon defender.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard when you\u2019re losing games but we all knew we could get back to how we were playing earlier in the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are determined to get our form back and get back to challenging for a European place, where we were before we started losing matches.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll get some confidence from pushing Arsenal hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cArsenal had a lot of set pieces but our communication was good and we covered the ground well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe concentrated well and talked a lot to each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was important for us to come away with something and hopefully we can keep getting clean sheets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Source: Sunderland Echo<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
![](\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
More:
\nGhana Skipper John Mensah Backs Sunderland Schedule<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Welcome to Ghanasoccernet.com, Ghana’s most authoritative football news website. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-301536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n
Ghana Skipper John Mensah Backs Sunderland Schedule - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Ghana Skipper John Mensah Backs Sunderland Schedule - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Welcome to Ghanasoccernet.com, Ghana's most authoritative football news website.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ghanamma\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ghanamma\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Ghana Skipper John Mensah Backs Sunderland Schedule\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-03-11T13:55:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/\"},\"wordCount\":536,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/\",\"name\":\"Ghana Skipper John Mensah Backs Sunderland Schedule - Ghanamma.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-03-11T13:55:01+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/\",\"name\":\"Ghanamma.com\",\"description\":\"News In Ghana - Latest Ghana News Headlines\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ghana Skipper John Mensah Backs Sunderland Schedule - Ghanamma.com","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Ghana Skipper John Mensah Backs Sunderland Schedule - Ghanamma.com","twitter_description":"Welcome to Ghanasoccernet.com, Ghana's most authoritative football news website.","twitter_image":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg","twitter_creator":"@ghanamma","twitter_site":"@ghanamma","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"Ghana Skipper John Mensah Backs Sunderland Schedule","datePublished":"2011-03-11T13:55:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/"},"wordCount":536,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/","name":"Ghana Skipper John Mensah Backs Sunderland Schedule - Ghanamma.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2011-03-11T13:55:01+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/11\/ghana-skipper-john-mensah-backs-sunderland-schedule\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/e8342fb1ohn-300x212.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/","name":"Ghanamma.com","description":"News In Ghana - Latest Ghana News Headlines","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301536\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"John](\"http:\/\/www.ghanasoccernet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/john.jpg\" "\\"Ghana")
<\/a><\/p>\n