Source: Northern_Echo
Cattermole is confident that things are looking up
A GROWING degree of pessimism was swirling around Wearside after last weekend's crushing defeat at Manchester City, but captain Lee Cattermole still thinks Sunderland are right to focus on a top-half finish.[LNB] A run of seven matches without a win, six of those defeats, has seen Sunderland tumble down the Premier League and they are now just six points above the relegation zone.[LNB] But with their final seven fixtures against teams manager Steve Bruce would normally expect to avoid defeat against, Cattermole is convinced a high finish is on the cards.[LNB] "This club has only had two top-ten finishes in the last 25 years but we have a chance of doing that this season," said Cattermole. "That would be a good season and another step closer to where we eventually want to be.[LNB] "We have to keep being positive. We're all confident. We've had a tough run of games - six of the last eight have been against teams in the top ten. It's a hard league and you can't just beat everyone and win games. You're going to have runs like this, but you just have to keep going.[LNB] "A top-ten finish would be a great improvement on last year. We had a long spell last year - similar to the one we're having now - but we want to address it a bit quicker this time around."[LNB] It is ten years since Peter Reid led Sunderland to their second of back-to-back seventh-place finishes in the Premier League and they now sit three points shy of Everton, current occupants of that spot.[LNB] That target is what Sunderland are setting their sights on ahead of a game with rejuvenated West Brom, who would climb above the Black Cats if they leave the Stadium of Light with three points today.[LNB] "I think everyone's still looking up really. I definitely haven't been looking down. We've got seven games left and we're playing teams in the bottom half of the table, rather than the top," said Cattermole.[LNB] "It's going to be hard because you can't take anything for granted, but we're a decent team and if we do what we were doing in the first half of the season we'll be OK."[LNB] Cattermole has only played in the last two of Sunderland's recent run of defeats at City and to Liverpool, having only recently returned from the back problem that had kept him out since the end of December.[LNB] He said: "We have to fight like we're in a relegation battle until we get to 40 points - and I don't even know if that will be enough this year."[LNB]
