Although Sunderland’s defensive numbers this season should make them proud, Luke O’Nien acknowledges that they can yet do better. Throughout the 2023–24 season, the 29-year-old began 43 league games for the Black Cats at center-back, frequently serving as team captain and partnering with Dan Ballard.Over the past year, Aji Alese, Jenson Seelt, and Dennis Cirkin have all been a member of Sunderland’s backline, but they missed some time due to injury. Despite this, the team had the fifth-best defensive record in the Championship—only Bristol City, Leeds, Leicester, and West Brom allowed less goals than them.
“Listen, I’m dead proud of this season, playing alongside Ballard, you’ve got Dennis Cirkin, Jenson was in there for a stage, Aji, and a number of other players I haven’t mentioned,” O’Nien said when asked about his role as a center-back.We take a close look at the numbers because we love numbers, and we are happy to have finished in the top six, if not the top five, defenses in the Championship. I’m happy of our statistics and the fact that we are among the top five in the championship, myself included. “We need to raise those numbers for next year. This season, if our defensive metrics rank in the top five, we need to aim even higher—in the top four, top three, or top two. It’s been fun for me to be at the back, the stats have been good but there are also stats we can improve on.”
The under-21s manager, Grahame Murty, a former Reading defender in the Premier League, has also worked closely with Sunderland’s defenders. Throughout the season, Murty volunteered to work with the first team, which O’Nien claims has helped him. “This year, I’ve worked a lot with Murts, and he’s really helped me develop both on and off the field,” O’Nien continued. It is imperative that I continue collaborating with him. I believe the numbers accurately show how much he has benefited the group and me.