ANDY WELSH has struck fear into Premiership full-backs and manager Mick McCarthy is looking for Sunderland's young forward Anthony Le Tallec to do the same.
Welsh has been one of Sunderland's surprise packages on their return to the Premiership while McCarthy's side have failed to claim as much as a point from their opening three matches.
The former Stockport County winger, who was only a fringe player in the Black Cats' Championship promotion push last season, has shown there is no danger of him becoming star-struck in the top-flight - having turned in impressive displays against Charlton, Liverpool and Manchester City.
There is a danger that, with left-back George McCartney nearing full fitness after a hamstring injury, the 22-year-old will lose his place to Julio Arca in the next few weeks.
But McCarthy said: "I'd like to have George back, Julio's doing a great job and Welsh's playing out of his skin. In fact Welsh has been exceptional hasn't he?
"He hasn't surprised me. He's like an old fashioned winger. He picks the ball up and goes at players and run at people, he's not afraid of losing it or getting tackles, he bounces back up and has another go, it's a great quality to have.
"If you asked the players who've come up against him, be it Luke Young, Steve Finnan or Danny Mills, they'd all say they'd been in a game that's for sure."
Le Tallec, embarking on a huge year for himself in English football having been allowed to leave Liverpool on a season-long loan, is also one who has caught the eye of the manager.
The 20-year-old scored on his Sunderland debut in the defeat to City on Tuesday and could have had a few more.
Le Tallec is determined to make a name for himself in the Premiership, having had to settle for a peripheral role at Liverpool since making a £3m double move with Florent Sinama-Pongolle from Le Havre three years ago.
Sunderland travel to Wigan this afternoon and McCarthy is looking for Le Tallec to continue where he left off. "I expect goals from him because he's a good finisher. He didn't disappear when he missed the chances, he believes in himself, which is a big part of any player," he said.
"Liverpool wouldn't have signed him at such an early age if they didn't see so much potential in him. But then at the age of 20 you stop talking about potential. If you're good enough then you need to be playing in someone's first team and we've given him that chance. He got better in the role. I saw him play for Liverpool and he's got a reputation certainly."
McCarthy heads into today's game with Wigan at the JJB Stadium knowing Sunderland could do with claiming all three points already, having faired pointless from the nine available.
The Latics lost 1-0 in April - courtesy of a Marcus Stewart strike - and that gave Sunderland the edge in the race to finish as Championship champions.
But Wigan still finished in the second promotion spot. "I thought we were excellent when we beat them at the end of last season there. It was a fiercely competitive game and we got the goal that mattered," said McCarthy.
"I don't know if Paul will use that result to wind them up, if teams need winding up to play in the Premiership then there's something wrong."
McCarthy added: "You can come in and wax lyrical about our displays but we're bottom with no points and it takes away any good feeling. It's mixed emotions when they flash the league up and you're bottom with no points.
"You come into it wanting to enjoy the pomp and ceremony that is the Premiership and I have but if you're getting beat that takes the shine off it. I'm enjoying it and it's a great challenge and we want to start picking up points and we want to stay in it."
l Defiant Blackburn boss Mark Hughes will not seek to suppress his side's combative style of play despite mounting disciplinary concerns at Ewood Park, writes MARK STANIFORTH.
Rovers lost Lucas Neill to their second sending off of the season against Tottenham on Wednesday night despite a suspended £50,000 fine hanging over their heads from last season.
With just three games of the new season gone they already have Neill and Paul Dickov sitting out of today's trip to Aston Villa through suspension.
But Hughes will send his players out at Villa Park warning them not to respond too readily to criticism of their recent heavy-handed approach to the game.
Hughes said: ''I think the public want to see footballers being competitive and giving everything in each and every game and that is what we are trying to do.
''Maybe we are in a situation now where the game is refereed in a different way and we pick up more bookings than we should.
''But it is difficult in an emotive sport to quell it and while I understand it to a certain extent, these situations are bound to arise in games like this.''
Hughes has consistently maintained that he feels his own players are becoming victims of their own notoriety with opposing players and officials holding preconceived ideas of their tactics.
And he has already pointed out that as well as finishing bottom of the Premiership's Fair Play league last season with five red cards and 74 bookings, Rovers were also the team whom other players committed the most fouls against.
Hughes added: ''If we need to do more we will try to do that but I think at this moment in time we are just going through a period where it is hard to understand why we are in this situation.
''We need to take responsibilities as a club and as individuals, we are mindful of that and we do feel the need to improve."
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