Bruce wants Black Cats response

Steve Bruce has urged Sunderland to put their Liverpool disappointment behind them ahead of Saturday's Premier League showdown with Tottenham. The Black Cats lost 3-0 at Anfield last Sunday, but could have been beaten even more comprehensively as the Reds ended their five-game unbeaten run at a canter.Bruce is hoping for a major response when Spurs head for the Stadium of Light.He said: "The one thing you have to have is eight or nine playing very, very well on the day. Unfortunately for us, we didn't have that."But what you have to do is dust yourselves down and go again. We couldn't have wished for a more difficult one."Spurs are riding high and playing well, and they have got good players. But it's always one of those great games which you look forward to."Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko sees no reason why Spurs - who have won each of their last five league games - cannot earn themselves a crack at Europe's elite club competition."The team itself has progressed immensely and we are a much better team compared to last year," said the 28-year-old Russian.Like Sunderland, Burnley will be looking to dent their opponents' top-four ambitions when they welcome Manchester City to Turf Moor in tomorrow's late game.Steven Caldwell returns to the Clarets squad after a four-month absence with groin and abdominal problems but Stephen Jordan is doubtful with a knee injury.Burnley boss Brian Laws has expressed his disappointment that referee Mike Dean will take charge of Manchester United's top-of-the-table clash with Chelsea tomorrow lunchtime.Laws is still furious after Dean awarded Blackburn a penalty from which David Dunn scored the winner against his team last Sunday."It's mad," said Laws. "He's been rewarded with this magnificent game - the biggest of the weekend and even the season so far."Bolton boss Owen Coyle is adamant he has no concerns over his leaky defence ahead of tomorrow's Reebok Stadium clash with Aston Villa.Wanderers have conceded 10 goals in their last four matches, and 20 in their last eight, ensuring their fight to beat the drop is far from over."Let's put this into context, before I arrived at this club we had not managed a clean sheet, but since we have had five," said Coyle, who took up the reins three months ago."Villa will be a tough game, but we're at home, where we've been playing well, as we did for large periods of last week's game (a 4-0 home loss to Manchester United)."Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce heads to bottom club Portsmouth tomorrow aiming for his own hat-trick this season.With safety almost assured - Rovers are 14 points clear of the relegation zone with six matches remaining - Allardyce gave his players three days off this week."They've had a real good rest since Sunday and our fantastic win at Burnley, and we've come all together now to get ready with almost a fully-fit squad," he said."The reserve team also won 4-0 in midweek, so it gives us a nice, strong squad to choose from as we try and do something we haven't done this season, and that's win three games on the trot in the league."Wolves head to Arsenal boosted by an unbeaten four-match run that has seen them collect eight points and move five points clear of the drop zone.Manager Mick McCarthy said: "March has been a very good month for us and the eight points we have got have been vital. But we still need more points to stay up."Hull boss Iain Dowie is disappointed he cannot name on-loan Ibrahima Sonko in the squad to face his parent club Stoke.Dowie turned to forgotten man Sonko last weekend against Fulham and the big centre-back - who had not played top-fight football for more than five months - responded with an impressive performance in a 2-0 win."It's a testament to his professionalism that he's in great shape," said Dowie."In training I felt he showed he was very capable. I talked to him, I told him what I wanted from him and he implemented the gameplan very well."I think he's frustrated because he's got to miss out at Stoke; it frustrates him and it frustrates me."Stoke manager Tony Pulis is keen to enjoy a landmark victory at the Britannia Stadium - getting the win against Hull would see the Potters pass the 40-point mark.Pulis said: "It will be great to get over 40 points as that is usually seen as the safety target. I will be absolutely delighted."But it will be tough on Saturday. The result against Fulham will have given Hull the confidence they have been looking for."

Source: Team_Talk