Sunderland vs Newcastle preview - Cattermole focuses solely on game

Posted Saturday, August 20, 2011 by PA

Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole has warned his team-mates they cannot expect to reap any derby dividends from Newcastle's off-field problems.

The Magpies will arrive at the Stadium of Light without a specialist left-back in their squad and with their summer-long search for a top-class striker still ongoing.

In addition, skipper Kevin Nolan, who demolished the Black Cats' dreams of derby success last season, and Jose Enrique have followed Andy Carroll through the exit door, while the outspoken Joey Barton's situation remains uncertain.

By contrast, Steve Bruce, armed with a significant proportion of the proceeds from the sales of Darren Bent and Jordan Henderson, has been allowed to invest heavily once again - and has done so to the tune of 10 signings.

However, having played in Sunderland's 5-1 horror show at St James' Park last season and looked on helplessly as they scraped a draw at the death in the return, Cattermole is convinced they can take nothing for granted this time around.

He said: "All their lads are all footballers, it doesn't matter what's going on at the club.

"Sunderland is a much healthier and much more stable club at the minute, but I don't think that really counts for anything when it comes to derby day.

"They have got a squad of players who are all good players and we have got a good team as well and when it kicks off, it's that fast and furious, you maybe need a little bit of luck and you need eight out of the 11 to have good performances, and they will be needing the same.

"It's as simple as that, really. Hopefully with the lads we have brought in and the experience, and the experiences of last season, we will be able to go out and put a better performance in this year."

Cattermole's view is shared by Bruce, who freely admits his team simply did not handle the derbies well enough last season.

Asked if he was pleased Nolan and Carroll in particular would not be involved this time around, he said: "Yes, of course I am - but they have got players who are going to take their places and Newcastle got a good result last week.

"For all the hype that's built up, at the end of the day it's Sunderland v Newcastle and whoever is on the pitch, there will be a fierce rivalry and some will handle it better than others.

"I honestly hope my team handles the occasion and we get the result we want."

Bruce will make a late decision on hamstring victim John O'Shea but is otherwise likely to make few changes to the side which drew 1-1 at Liverpool on the opening day of the campaign.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is hoping for more of the same from derby specialist Shola Ameobi as he targets a first victory over arch-rivals Sunderland.

The 29-year-old striker has six goals to his name against the Black Cats over the years including a double in last season's 5-1 rout at St James' Park.

Ameobi was born in Nigeria but raised on Tyneside and has grown up with the rivalry which exists between the neighbouring clubs and Pardew firmly believes that is at the root of his success in the fixture which matters more than any other to both sets of fans.

He said: "Shola has been here a long time and he has lived in the area.

"Everywhere you go, you are reminded, and Shola has had that for a number of years, so he knows that this is a massive game for the club and he probably gets himself up as high as he would for a cup final, and that bodes well.

"He will start on Saturday, I make no bones about that. He will be in the starting line-up."

If Ameobi's performance alongside Carroll in last October's demolition job provided the basis for Newcastle's success, it was Nolan who grabbed the headlines with a hat-trick.

Nolan also opened the scoring in the return at the Stadium of Light in January, only for Asamoah Gyan to bundle home an injury-time equaliser to deny the Magpies a double and Pardew victory in his first Wear-Tyne encounter.

However, he has since departed to West Ham under a transfer policy which has once again been criticised by full-back Jose Enrique following his own move to Liverpool and a vacancy exists for a new hero to write himself into Geordie folklore.

Pardew said: "Every time a derby comes along, that vacancy is there for somebody.

"My experience of derbies is that you need to match the ferocity that is on the pitch, but usually the team which is calm and gets the ball down and plays are the victors."