Advocaat sets six-point target

Sunderland head coach Dick Advocaat has set his players a six-point target to preserve their Barclays Premier League status. The Black Cats sit just a point above the drop zone going into Saturday's testing trip to Stoke and knowing their stay in the top flight is under serious threat with Leicester in particular making a late charge.However, he is convinced two wins or the equivalent from their remaining six games will be enough to prevent them slipping into the Sky Bet Championship.Advocaat told SAFSEE: "We know that we have to get results - we need at least six points in the last six games, then we have a chance to stay up, and we have the feeling that we can do something."We have still to learn if and when you go behind, that you can still change a game, and we forgot to do that against Crystal Palace."But this is a different game, a new game. We know there are only six games to go, only five weeks. We can show that we want to stay up, and I have the feeling that the players are really up for it, so hopefully we can show something on Saturday."A 4-1 home defeat by Palace last time out set the alarm bells ringing in earnest, and while Sunderland have a game in hand on several of their rivals, it is a trip to Arsenal four days before they travel to champions-elect Chelsea in an intensely difficult finish to the campaign.

Source: PA