Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio has declared that he is happy to stay in the limelight if it takes the pressure off his struggling squad.

The Black Cats sit bottom of the Premier League table after failing to win any of their four games so far the season.

Di Canio believes that Jose Mourinho laid out the blueprint for deflecting criticism during his first spell in charge of Chelsea, a model that he is happy to adopt if it keeps his players focused.

He told The Mirror: "I'm a focus, it's true. It should help the players. "I'll absorb everything. I don't have a problem with that. I'll accept the weight of the building coming down onto my shoulders.

"With me, the attention is for different reasons, but Mourinho was like a teacher for this, always distracting attention from certain situations and attracting it to himself.

"Then the players can stay more relaxed. It can have benefits. When people talk about blame at Sunderland it's always Paolo Di Canio and because I'm not worried about that, they can take advantage."

Sunderland will take on West Bromwich Albion, the only other club yet to register a win in the top flight this season, at The Hawthorns this afternoon.