Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce: We'll be relegated if we rely on other teams
Sam Allardyce has warned Sunderland they will go down if they rely on other teams to get them out of Barclays Premier League relegation trouble.
The Black Cats host Crystal Palace on Tuesday evening still smarting from Saturday's 1-0 defeat at West Ham, during which they created more than enough chances to get something from the game, but ultimately left Upton Park empty-handed.
As luck would have it, 19th-placed Sunderland ended the weekend no worse off with fellow strugglers Aston Villa, Norwich and Swansea all losing and Newcastle not in action, although that provided little comfort to their 61-year-old manager.
Allardyce said: "It doesn't matter. Twenty-three points, 27 games - if the season finishes now, we are relegated, so you have got to get to 38 points or better, it's as simple as that.
"It doesn't matter what anybody else does, you have got to go and do it yourself. You can't rely on others, you have got to do it yourself.
"If you rely on others, you'll get relegated."
Sunderland have just 11 games remaining in which to dig themselves out of trouble for a fourth successive season, and Allardyce has set them a target of five victories to give themselves a chance.
He said: "We have got 11 games and we have got to have our best run of the season. We have got to pick up five victories if we can in 11 minimum, and that's 38 points in the hope that 38 points is going to be enough again this year."
Allardyce has no fresh injury problems with only midfielder Jeremain Lens, who is recovering from hernia surgery and could return against Southampton at the weekend, and striker Duncan Watmore (ankle ligaments) missing.
Alan Pardew, meanwhile, admits Crystal Palace have joined Sunderland in a relegation dogfight.
The Eagles were in the chase for a European place before Christmas but a nightmare run of 10 games without a win has seen them slip to 14th.
They are currently eight points above the drop zone but are in desperate need of a result against the Black Cats.
Eagles boss Pardew said: "Are we in a relegation fight? Yes, of course we are.
"We keep losing. There is no talk of Europe at this club. We are focused now on what Crystal Palace need to deliver over the next 10 games.
"We've got a fantastic opportunity in the FA Cup but the league form hasn't been good enough and we need to put it right, straight away.
"That doesn't mean to say we can't have our strongest ever finish in the Premier League. We can do that, we have the capability but we need to kick into gear."
Yannick Bolasie could return to the starting line-up for the first time since December, an absence which has coincided with Palace's tumble down the table.
But Pardew is eager not to place too much pressure on the returning winger, who was a key figure in their fine start to the season until he suffered a hip injury.
"It's easy to say we have missed players and start leaning on the fact Yannick is back and everything will be okay, but it doesn't work like that," he said.
"We all need to pull our fingers out; me, the staff and the players. We know it's the biggest game of the season for Sunderland, and in some ways it's the biggest game of the season for us."
Source: PAR
