Lee Cattermole says Sunderland need to win derby with Newcastle

Lee Cattermole says three points - rather than derby bragging rights - is more important to Sunderland's players this weekend.

The Sunderland midfielder was speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the Super Sunday clash with Newcastle at the Stadium of Light with both sides in the bottom three.

Sunderland are rock bottom and have not won a game all season - and Cattermole is more concerned with breaking that duck than putting one over their neighbours.

He told Soccer Saturday: "For us I don't think it matters who we are playing against this weekend in the circumstances and where we are in the league.

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"We need to get our first win of the season and get our season started. It just happens that this weekend is Newcastle and it makes it that extra bit spicy.

"Going into the week we go about training exactly the same and prepare for the game to go on the pitch and get the result."

The fixture will be Sam Allardyce's first home game in charge of Sunderland after replacing Dick Advocaat earlier this month.

And Cattermole says he has been impressed with how the former Newcastle manager has made an impact on everybody at his new club.

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He added: "He's a man's man. He walks around the place and has got a presence.

"He's talking to everybody; the young players have said to us how nice it is for the manager to interact with them on the training pitches.

"He is a manager and whether you call him old school or what, he has come here and brought a lot of stats to us. He's telling us areas of the pitch we need to be stronger in and where we need to improve.

"He seems very on top of the game and he has been impressive."

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