Sunderland striker Dame N'Doye is confident he will not suffer back-to-back relegations from the Barclays Premier League.
The 31-year-old Senegal international went down with former club Hull at the end of last season, but having seen what is in the dressing room at the Stadium of Light since his arrival on loan from Trabzonspor in January, is confident the Black Cats will not follow the Tigers into the Sky Bet Championship.
Asked whether this team can stay up, N'Doye told the Journal: "Yes, I believe that because of the atmosphere in the dressing room. The lads are very concentrated and they have a strong mind that they will stay up - and that is very important.
"Team spirit was strong at Hull also because everybody was working hard and they did not believe they were going down. Maybe we failed in some games and that is why we went down, but God decides that and when he decides, you cannot change it.
"Every year, you work hard to stay in the Premier League. Nobody expects to go down, but three teams have to go.
"I don't want to be relegated two seasons in a row. I did not want to be relegated at Hull, but now I have to forget about that and concentrate on this new challenge and keeping Sunderland up."
Nineteenth-placed Sunderland head for West Ham on Saturday knowing a point could be enough to lift them out of the bottom three after victory over Manchester United last time out.
Source: PA
