Sunderland buzzing ahead of Spurs clash Last week`s draw with Manchester City has left Sunderland full of confidence ahead of the Barclays Premier League clash with Tottenham, according to manager Martin O`Neill.
The Black Cats were unable to prevent a late fightback from Roberto Mancini's side at the Etihad as they scored two late goals to salvage a 3-3 draw and keep their title bid alive. Sunderland were later charged by the Football Association with failing to control their players during the game following an incident when refereed Phil Dowd awarded a penalty in the 43rd minute. O'Neill was remaining tight-lipped about the charge, although he did admit the club would be "sending a response very shortly". However, he admitted his side's belief is sky high in the wake of the match and, believes their performances are much improved from when they met Tottenham in his second game in charge in December. "Particularly after the performance against Manchester City, we've got to approach this game full of confidence,"
O'Neill said. "I think we're a better side now. Certainly we've got a bit more confidence about ourselves. "Tottenham have been excellent all season. People talk about a bit of a blip or something like that but they certainly recovered against Swansea (when they won 3-1). "I don't remember them going through a bad period in terms of performances but like everything else, sometimes you need the results to go along with it. "It's been a great season from their viewpoint but for ourselves, it's a matter of trying to continue where we left off from Manchester City." Sunderland will be without defender John O'Shea for the game as he continues to recover from a calf injury, while midfielder Lee Cattermole will face a late injury test due to a knee problem. Wayne Bridge is set to make a return after he missed out last weekend due to the terms of his loan agreement with parent club Manchester City. Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp does not know whether he will be allowed to keep Emmanuel Adebayor at Tottenham beyond the end of the season.
When Adebayor arrived at White Hart Lane on loan from Manchester City last summer, there were serious doubts about his temperament, but he has defied the critics to become a key player for Spurs. The Togo striker has scored 14 goals and his physical presence up front has allowed the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric to prosper in midfield. The 28-year-old wants to stay at Tottenham, but his reported wage packet of ?170,000 a week will prove to be a big stumbling block in any negotiations. Redknapp would love to keep the former Arsenal striker, but is unsure whether a deal can be agreed.
The Tottenham manager said: "He scored two goals last week against Swansea and he has been excellent, but whether it's possible to do a deal, I wouldn't be sure. "Manu is on loan at the moment and that's where we're at. "The chairman will deal with (any negotiations) at the end of this season. I wouldn't have a clue whether (a permanent transfer) is a possibility or not." On Sunderland, O'Neill added: "Martin has come in, and as Martin always does he has got them up and going straight away and has done a great job there," Redknapp said. "They are a difficult team to play against. "He is full of enthusiasm still and it's good to see him back in management again. He is a great character and a top manager. "They had a great result drawing at Manchester City last weekend and it will be a difficult game but we have to keep going." Ledley King (knee) will have a test to see if he is fit enough to play while Aaron Lennon (hamstring) may make his first start in a month after coming off the bench against the Swans.
Sunderland V Tottenham - view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game live.
Source: DSG
Source: DSG