The Tyne-Wear derby on the back of a 1-0 drubbing at the hands of West Ham. Tough run for Sunderland and their new boss Dick Advocaat. However, the Black Cats once again have the North East bragging rights and end a day in which they could have dropped into the bottom three on a real high.
Burnley’s draw with Spurs leaves the Stadium of Light side three points above the drop zone with seven games to play, and although safety is far from guaranteed, things look positive for Sunderland right now.
We at FFC Towers think they’ll stay up again, and here are THREE reasons why…
Star quality
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A goal fit to win any game. Jermain Defoe’s volley on the stroke of half-time was simply staggering. It may have been a bit route one – goalkeeper long punt, headed down – but there was nothing agricultural about the way the striker connected. The Black Cats paid big money to lure him back to England from Toronto, and goals of such quality and importance justify that decision. The Wearsiders were also better than Newcastle in pretty much every area, which bodes well for the run-in.
Been there, done that
Sunderland were staring at the abyss last season at about this time of the year. Relegation loomed large, but massive wins at Chelsea, Manchester United and Everton hauled them clear of the brown stuff in the nick of time, keeping the club in the top tier.
Many key members of that side are still in the squad Dick Advocaat has to make use of, which is a good sign. Connor Wickham has shown he can score big goals when needed, John O’Shea has the know-how and Lee Cattermole’s passion could be infectious again.
New manager bounce
There’s always a risk when replacing a manager with the season reaching the climax, but Sunderland look to have timed it well. Dick Advocaat’s first outing may have been a disaster, yet after some time with his players, the bounce appears to have kicked in. The Dutchman’s side pressed well against Newcastle, looked neat going forward and showed the sort of fight they’ll need to stay up.