The big match

[bennythedip2]

Advocaat: Derby like cup final

Dick Advocaat has ordered his Sunderland players to treat Sunday's derby showdown with Newcastle as a cup final.


However, the 67-year-old Dutchman is placing no greater importance on Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with the Magpies at the Stadium of Light than any of the other seven remaining games of a campaign which is balanced on a knife-edge.

Head coach Advocaat, whose first game at the helm ended in a heart-breaking 1-0 defeat at West Ham, said: "At the beginning when I arrived, I talked to them about nine finals, and that's the way it is.

"The second final is Newcastle. I think we have to think about it in that way. It's a very important game to show them what we can do, and if we can get the result we want, it will give them a lift again.

"Last week, I was a little bit disappointed that we conceded a goal in the last minute against West Ham because one point would have been a good result there.

"The players understand the importance of this game, and not only this game, but every game that will come in the next weeks."


That point would have doubled Sunderland's slim advantage over 18th-placed Burnley, who headed into the weekend with the Black Cats firmly in their sights.

It will be Advocaat's first experience of this particular local rivalry, but by no means his first derby after travelling the world during his successful career to date.

Indeed, having experienced the white heat of the Old Firm hostilities in Scotland during his spell as Rangers boss, he knows exactly what to expect, and what a weapon home advantage can be.

He said: "I know from the Rangers fans how important it is to get them behind you. They can be a really key factor in this game.

"If they stand straight from the beginning behind our club, then it will give the players a lift, there's no doubt about that."

Sunderland, of course, have won the last four meetings with their arch-rivals on the trot, and are seeking an unprecedented fifth victory in the fixture which means more than any other on both sides of the divide.


However, they have managed just two league wins on their own pitch all season and were trounced 4-0 by then fellow strugglers Aston Villa last time out.

Goals have been at a premium - they have managed only two in their last seven league outings games - and that needs to change sooner rather than later if they are to dig themselves out of a hole.

The Black Cats invested heavily in England striker Jermain Defoe during the January transfer window, but the last of his two strikes to date came at Swansea on February 7, and it was Steven Fletcher who rediscovered his shooting boots with a hat-trick for Scotland at the weekend, albeit against Euro 2016 minnows Gibraltar.

Advocaat said: "We have to win, so we have to score goals. In games, you always get chances. We have to have good organisation and then the players who score goals, they have to do it.

"If you can score for Scotland, you can also score - if you play - for Sunderland. Hopefully he [Fletcher] will get confidence because that is a quality of his, scoring goals. He always did, but not so much for this club so far."

Advocaat will welcome midfield enforcer Lee Cattermole back from suspension - and has confirmed that he will start - although he will be without defender Wes Brown as he faces up to a month on the sidelines with a knee injury.

[Tony2005]

For me both todays games will have goals.

So OVER 3.5 goals in both matches pays

11/1 the double.

Both games to end 2-2 pays 254/1..

[tiredeyes]

Andy, Andy, Hey Andy, Andy can I get a High Five in a row

[Part-Timer]

Joking and rivalry aside, how bad were they!