Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie at Queens Park Rangers provides the perfect opportunity to get back on track, according to Sunderland midfielder Jan Kirchhoff.
The German international, who returned to action just two weeks ago, has already been restored to the heart of the Black Cats’ midfield games against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.
Both games ended in defeat as two of the Premier League’s best strikers – Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane – stole the headlines to frustrate the Black Cats.
But Kirchhoff is refusing to dwell and challenged his team-mates to return to winning ways at Loftus Road.
“It’s a cup game so it’s all about winning and hopefully we can do that to get ourselves prepared for Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace.
“It’s a good chance to get back on track and it’s a game where we can control the ball and have a little bit more possession.”
He continued: “On a personal note I’m feeling really good; I came back against Rochdale which was quite challenging but I played 70 minutes against Everton and again against Tottenham which felt much better.
“I expect myself to increase this volume in each game and I feel like step by step its coming, and the games are coming thick and fast now which is much better for me and the team.
“We’re focussed on winning and we need to head into games with that mind set.”
