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Kieran Richardson believes Sunderland have the potential to become as big as Manchester United.
The former Red Devils winger swapped the trophy-laden corridors of Old Trafford last summer for regular first-team football at The Stadium of Light.
However, the England international does not think he has downsized his career by joining Roy Keane's men as he believes the North East club have everything required to become a Premier League giant.
Richardson knows that if Keane's Black Cats can stay up this year the structure is there for the club to move onto the next level.
"I honestly don't think I've taken a step down by moving here," he told the Daily Star.
Just as big
"Going into work every day, Sunderland feels every bit as big as United in so many ways.
"Don't get me wrong, United are arguably the biggest club in the world and I enjoyed every minute of my time there.
"But I don't think people realise just how big it is at Sunderland or, more importantly, how much bigger it could become.
"This club is very ambitious - like I am. And, of course, the manager has never settled for second-best in his life.
"Unfortunately, it has had a reputation as a yo-yo club over the years and that's what everyone here is trying to change.
"That's why staying up this season is so crucial because, if we can do that, the potential, the resources and the ambition are there to move on to the next level."
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Geremi believes Newcastle United's derby clash with Sunderland is bigger than the El Clasico in Spain.
Former Real Madrid man Geremi has played in matches against Barcelona in La Liga, although he feels The Magpies clash with Sunderland are the bigger games.
Sunderland could leapfrog Newcastle with a win at St James' Park, but Geremi believes his team-mates will be keen to secure bragging rights in the North East.
"The derby game is something special and I know what it means for the fans," said Geremi.
Means a lot
"Each derby means a lot to every team. When I was with Real Madrid, I played in the derby against Barcelona, which is very big.
"But in Newcastle, the game against Sunderland is bigger than Real Madrid versus Barcelona.
"It depends on each club, and we know it is going to be a big derby.
"Derbies are played away from the pitch, when people talk a lot, and then on the pitch, when we can do our talking."
Good finds, Mulli. One of the truly fun derby matches.
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The Arizona Cardinals...hitch a ride on the bandwagon while there's still room!!!
and
Break the circle of suck, Bidwill, or feel my wrath--Stout, 26 Feb 2006.*
*--Note: this part of Stout's signature line is on hold. It has not yet been deleted, but once the Cardinal's make the playoffs, it shall be removed. Thank you, and I now return you to your regularly sheduled thread.
Craig Gordon has needed no reminder of the chance he has to write himself into Sunderland folklore in the run-up to the clash.
Every day as he prepares for training, the 25-year-old goalkeeper finds himself face-to-face with a photograph commemorating a day which is still celebrated on Wearside as one of the best in the club's recent history.
In November 2000, Sunderland were leading 2-1 at St James' Park, where they had famously won by the same score the previous season, with just minutes remaining when Newcastle were awarded a penalty, and Alan Shearer stepped up at the Gallowgate End to confront Thomas Sorensen with few inside the stadium expecting anything other than an equaliser.
But Sorensen thought differently and managed to keep out Shearer's effort to ensure himself a place in the club's history.
Gordon said: "There is a big picture of that penalty save down in the kit room, so I see it every day when I pick up my kit.
"I am well aware of that one. That would be nice.''
For so long this season, the Tyne-Wear derby looked as if it could unfold as a desperate battle for survival with both clubs languishing in the lower reaches of the Premier League table and in severe danger of being dragged into the scrap.
But three successive wins for Sunderland, before last weekend's defeat by Manchester City, have given them a more than fighting chance, while as many victories in an unbeaten five-game run for Kevin Keegan's Newcastle have eased them to the brink of safety.
Gordon, a veteran of 16 Edinburgh derbies during his time at Hearts, said: "It is a big, important game, there is no getting away from that.
"You try to treat it as a normal game as much as you can, and in most respects, we will treat it as a normal game. "But you cannot deny that it is a massive game and one that takes on added importance.''
Yeah, that's weak. I got my shirt on sale a few years ago when the Black Cats were relegated.
The store is probably waiting for Sunderland to officially reach safety before they order next year's shirts.
As for the game tomorrow, I'm feeling like another 2-1 loss. Seems like we've been on the wrong end of that score a lot this season. I really hope I'm wrong though.
Just to get this out there, I predict a referee will make a bad call late to cost Sundy the game.
That would be status quo for this season.
Hackett apologises to Keane for wrong calls
By Paul Fraser The Northern Echo
Referees' chief Keith Hackett has offered an apology to manager Roy Keane for decisions' which have kept Sunderland in a relegation fight this season.
The Black Cats head to Newcastle United on Sunday still in need points to safeguard Premier League status.
But Sunderland would already be looking forward to a second campaign in the top flight had a number of wrong decisions gone correctly in their favour this season.
And, after another contentious call from referee Mike Riley led to defeat to Manchester City last weekend, Hackett has been in touch with Keane to say sorry.
Riley awarded a penalty to City when Daniel Sturridge tripped over his own feet in the area when the score was still goalless at the Stadium of Light. After Elano opened the scoring, Sunderland went on to lose 2-1.
Like so often this season, however, Keane kept his criticism of the official to a minimum. He has not yet been charged by the Football Association since stepping into management.
Nor has he made an official complaint to Hackett about some of the decisions that have gone against Sunderland, which would have amounted to six points prior to last weekend's loss to City.
Had Stephen Hunt's controversial last minute winner for Reading in December not deemed to have crossed the line, or two winning goals' not been ruled out against Aston Villa and Derby, Sunderland would have been sitting 11th.
That would mean a 13-point cushion over the bottom three with 12 points to play for, something not lost on Keane who feels there have been other poor calls from the men in the middle.
"We have had decisions go against us this year that we are still scratching our heads over,"
said the Irishman. "But I had a phone call from Keith Hackett apologising this week for some of the decisions which was little or no consolation.
"The penalty last week clearly was not a penalty. But these are the setbacks you have to deal with. It does seem we have had quite a lot against us. We have had seven or eight major calls blatantly wrong decisions. People say they even out and that means we will have five penalty awards on Sunday.
"Keith Hackett rang me. I do not know how he got my mobile!
We had a good chat. It didn't get me anywhere. It wasn't really about specific ones. There was plenty to talk about."
Earlier in the campaign, Keane was also offered an apology from an assessor after Michael Chopra's strike at Derby was wrongly deemed offside, but it is the first time he has known Hackett to pick up the phone.
He said: "In respect to Keith, he isn't ringing managers every week. I don't expect him to ring me next week and he might never again, but he felt the decision was such a bad one that he had to make the call.
"I could have had a few of those phone calls. Over the course of the season you're going to get decisions where you think that was a close call'.
"But we've had six or seven go against us where you think it's not even a close call - it's not even debatable' but it's gone against us. I reminded Keith of that."
With survival within reach, Keane knows there will be more than points at stake if referee Mike Dean makes a wrong decision against Newcastle - with local pride also taking a battering.
__________________
The Arizona Cardinals...hitch a ride on the bandwagon while there's still room!!!
and
Break the circle of suck, Bidwill, or feel my wrath--Stout, 26 Feb 2006.*
*--Note: this part of Stout's signature line is on hold. It has not yet been deleted, but once the Cardinal's make the playoffs, it shall be removed. Thank you, and I now return you to your regularly sheduled thread.
Another questionable penalty goes against Sunderland. Big surprise!
You still lose without that penalty, right?
I didn't get to see the game, but if you did, can you say if the ball hit his hand or not? If so, was his hand tucked back? Did he try to get it out of the way? I've seen a lot of handballs go AGAINST Newcastle (didn't get called) because the ref deemed the contact was incidental.
__________________
The Arizona Cardinals...hitch a ride on the bandwagon while there's still room!!!
and
Break the circle of suck, Bidwill, or feel my wrath--Stout, 26 Feb 2006.*
*--Note: this part of Stout's signature line is on hold. It has not yet been deleted, but once the Cardinal's make the playoffs, it shall be removed. Thank you, and I now return you to your regularly sheduled thread.
Seems like we've been on the wrong end of that score a lot this season. I really hope I'm wrong though.
am i not enjoying work this morning........!
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