Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet says former club Sunderland would've been relegated if not for Paolo di Canio.
The Italian was sacked this week.
"When he first came in, he observed a lot, looked at the players and what was happening around the place," Mignolet told the Daily Mail. "After a couple of days observing he changed a few little things here and there to see what his own view is about.
"That's what he did in the first few weeks and we had two massive results against Newcastle and Everton which were our biggest results last season. Those results got us safe for the next season. After that, he brought in his own style from his own way of doing things which he found important.
"If you are a professional footballer, the manager is there to point you in a direction and you follow in the direction he pinpoints out and you do the things he wants you to do as good as you can. You go with that and try to do your best. For me he was a good manager to work with."
