Simon Mignolet is urging his Sunderland team-mates to end their recent barren run and target a top-eight Barclays Premier League finish. The Black Cats passed up an opportunity to reduce the gap to Liverpool, the current occupants of eighth place, to just a single point when they were held 0-0 at the Stadium of Light by bottom-of-the-table Wolves. Having taken 31 points from the previous 19 league games they had played under Martin O'Neill, the draw capped a run of just two wins in 10. Mignolet said: "There are still things to play for and everybody wants to get up in the table. We would rather end up eighth in the table than being 12th or 13th, so there's still a lot to play for. That's the main thing and everybody is thinking the same way in the dressing room." There was a distinctly end-of-season feel about the game from the off as Sunderland, safe in mid-table, and Wolves, fighting a seemingly futile battle for survival, scrapped out an uneventful 90 minutes in a subdued atmosphere. The home side should have taken the lead with 16 minutes played when James McClean was played into space inside the box by Stephane Sessegnon, but shot wastefully into the side-netting. McClean saw Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey make a fine reaction save to keep out his 73rd-minute header, but not before Sylvan Ebanks-Blake had squandered a glorious opportunity by firing wide from close range at the other end. In a dramatic conclusion which had little in common with much of the rest of the game, Steven Fletcher forced a vital diving save from Mignolet and Sebastian Larsson scooped Sessegnon's driven cross over the bar from six yards. Mignolet said: "If you want to win games, you have to score a goal and obviously in the last couple of weeks, it has been tough for us to try to get a goal. "It's always dangerous if it stays 0-0, things can go either way. Luckily, Wolves didn't score because they could easily have nicked the game as well, which would have been even more disappointing. "But on the other hand, we have still got things to play for and hopefully, everybody looks forward to next week."
Possible - yes, likely - no ! Liverpool have done well in the cups this season but they're league form is hit and miss. Everton always look 1 or 2 injuries away from a poor run.
You know - I was thinking more of the scousers and hadn't even considered them ! Well they've a decent manager but like us and Everton are capable of a poor run and fading away. Can't see them getting 8th.
Couple of weeks ago one of the lads asked about where we thought the present top 8 or so would finish I had us at 10th maybe 11th and am sticking with that, also had the barcodes in 7th just from Liverpool. A few thought I was being harsh or not confident enough in the lads, that may be true just what I thought at the time and what I think now.
Mathematically it is of course still possible but in reality, no I don't. If we finish in the top 10 again I think we will have done very well given the perilous situation MoN inherited only 4.5 months ago. We have survived with some ease (7 or 8 games to go we were safe) and that's even more remarkable. I'm sure in public, all the players and the manager will say top 7 is still on but MoN will know that he cant get any more out of these players this campaign. Next season however, I know he will target a top 7 place and challenge the likes of Liverpool and Everton for those positions. If the craas slip backwards they will also be in that top 7 or 8 challenge, as will maybe Fulham. We have much to be thankful for recently and far more to look forward to next season, so I'll happily conceded this season is over and concentrate my hopes and expectations on next season now, which to be honest, is a Sunderland fans motto. "There's always next season" - Lol
Think our season ended with the Everton cup game at SOL mate apart from the City game I've seen nothing to sway me otherwise. I'm with you that anything above the relegation places is a success for us after the start we had. Next season I'd be surprised if we didn't aim for a top ten finish from the off maybe even get to 8th, not sure we'll get much further than that even with a big clear out of the deadwood.
