Whitehead lifted by fixture list

Sunderland skipper targets key games

By Rob Parrish   Last updated: 11th March 2008

whitehead dean

Whitehead: Fixture lift

We have got some good games coming up - we have got Fulham, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Bolton - we have got all those teams coming up who we know we can beat.

Dean Whitehead.
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Dean Whitehead believes Sunderland should take heart from the fixture list in their battle against Premier League relegation.

The Black Cats captain feels that forthcoming matches against four teams also involved in the battle against the drop leaves their destiny in their own hands.

Roy Keane's men still have to tackle Chelsea and Arsenal at The Stadium of Light and travel to Aston Villa, but Whitehead has identified four big encounters which he feels could be key to their fate.

With Sunderland only two points above Bolton in 18th, but just two behind Middlesbrough in 12th, the battle against the drop looks set to go right to the wire.

Pressure

Whitehead said: "It is going to be intense pressure on the players of every team to get three points, which is of major importance at this time of the season.

"We know there is going to be a lot of pressure on us, especially on our home ground. We know we are going to have 40,000 cheering us on and we have to stand up and be counted.

"We have got some good games coming up - we have got Fulham, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Bolton - we have got all those teams coming up who we know we can beat."

Midfielder Whitehead has already endured the pain of relegation with the Black Cats, when they slipped out of the top flight with just 15 points in 2005/06.

But he believes the current Sunderland squad is vastly superior and that they should be looking towards mid-table, rather than glancing over their shoulder at the drop zone.

Characters

He said: "We could end up in mid-table this season, so that's what we are looking towards.

"We are not looking towards the bottom, we are looking towards 12th, 13th, the middle of the table, and we will be pushing to do that.

"The squad we have now has much more quality, there are more characters in the team than we had before.

"We are looking to stay up and build for the following season."