Source: Northern_Echo
Top ten is realistic target, says Black Cats defender
ANTON Ferdinand believes this season's Premier League is the closest ever and hopes Sunderland can capitalise on that by finishing as high up the table as possible.[LNB] The season has been full of unexpected results and the Black Cats have been part of a few, beating Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and losing 5-1 to arch-rivals Newcastle.[LNB] The Black Cats sit in seventh spot, just three points off a European place but with very little between clubs, a couple of losses could also see Steve Bruce's side slip towards the bottom of the table.[LNB] Ferdinand believes the close nature of this year's Premier League resembles that of the Championship, but insists it makes the table more interesting for fans.[LNB] It's more like the Championship,[LNB] said the 25-year-old.[LNB] Everyone beats everyone in the Championship. You might get one team running away with who is going to win it, but everything else is up for grabs. It's the same with the Premier League, although nobody is running away with it this year.[LNB] Normally you have two or three that are ten points ahead by now and that isn't the case.[LNB] Everyone thought Chelsea were going to run away with it and now they're not even top of the league. It makes it a better league, of course it does, on the eye and for people watching.[LNB] Not only that, you've got the foreign players who want to come and play in this league.[LNB] For the neutral and the people who want to watch the sport and the Premier League it's very good.[LNB] And it's not only at the top, it's at the bottom as well because we're doing very well at the moment, but if you look at the points we're not far from both ends of the table.[LNB] At the beginning of the season, Ferdinand's future on Wearside was uncertain but the he has now played in Sunderland's last four games.[LNB] However, he now looks set to miss part of the festive period with a hamstring injury but the former West Ham man believes if his side can continue their good form, there is no reason why they should not finish in the top half of the table.[LNB] We've got to keep playing our football, keep trying to win as many games as we can and keep taking each game as it comes, Ferdinand said.[LNB] We have got a fantastic chance to stake a claim to stay in the top ten and if we go into games like we have been doing and keep attacking like we have been, we've got a great chance of doing that.[LNB]
