Martin O'Neill believes Sunderland must see themselves as 'a big club' as they look to push onwards and upwards. The Black Cats take on one of the game's giants this weekend as Liverpool visit Wearside for a key Barclays Premier League clash. O'Neill wants to see his side pushing out of the middle of the pack and challenging in the upper reaches of the table. And he says all on Wearside must believe that further progress can be made as the upwardly-mobile Black Cats aim to push on. Speaking about the pressure Liverpool's players and staff often find themselves under to get results, he said: "I think that goes for the other big clubs too and we want to try and push ourselves into that position. "This is a big club, and sometimes you just have to remind yourself just how big and passionate it is. "If we need any proof of at all of that, just look at our supporters on Sunday. They made themselves heard, even from miles away. "That's what we've got to get into - the mindset that we're a big club and that we can challenge. "I'm not saying we've reached that standard yet. We haven't - there's no question of that. "There's no doubt that the top sides are better than the ones below, and it's been a real scramble. "We're still scrambling at the moment, but we're playing with plenty of desire and being supported with plenty of desire." ............................................................................ Well said MoN.....
people dont seem to understand the difference between a big club and a top club sunderland are and have been a big club and allways will be. there performances over the past 50 years does not take away the fact that there are still a big club.sunderland now need to performe and now become a top club. MON is the man to take us there
Martin O'Neill says new Carling Cup holders Liverpool will be brimming with confidence heading into this weekend's game on Wearside. The Reds secured their first trophy since 2006 with a penalty shoot-out win over Cardiff City at Wembley recently. Kenny Dalglish's side returned to league action last weekend and suffered a stoppage-time defeat to Arsenal which left them 10 points behind the fourth-placed Gunners in the Barclays Premier League table. But O'Neill says the hope of a top-four finish won't have dissipated on Merseyside, particularly in the context of the recent cup win. "Of course, Liverpool have added the Carling Cup to this season's tally, as it were, and it won't be easy for us," he told safc.com. "Despite their defeat against Arsenal, Liverpool will of course still go into the game with plenty of confidence. "They won't have given up on finishing fourth in the league because it's still tight enough. "Obviously the defeat against Arsenal puts that distance between them which they might feel is a bit too much at this stage of the season. "But Liverpool are a very fine side and they will provide a difficult test for us." Meanwhile O'Neill says his side can take heart from their performances against the league's top clubs during his time in charge. Trips to Spurs and Chelsea yielded narrow defeats, while leaders Manchester City were dispatched on New Year's Day and Arsenal sent crashing out of the FA Cup with Budweiser. "In almost every game we have played, we've have been in with a chance," he said. "Even in the matches at Stamford Bridge and White Hart Lane, where we lost to two very good sides, we were never without a chance in those games, particularly at Chelsea. "That's very encouraging. I think there are games over the course of a season where something won't happen from start to finish, no matter what you do. "That can't be helped and I'm thinking particularly of the West Bromwich Albion game. "But if we're isolating that game as the biggest mishap of the last few months, that's not so bad. .................................................. Try Guinness MoN....................
