DICK ADVOCAAT admits Sunderland are constantly having to increase their survival target because of the performances of the sides around them, but the Dutchman is confident a win over Leicester will end any relegation fears once and for all.

When he was appointed to succeed Gus Poyet in March, Advocaat inherited a side in 17th position and predicted that two more victories might be sufficient to remain in the top-flight.

Since then, Sunderland have claimed three wins –against Newcastle, Southampton and Everton – and picked up a point from a 1-1 draw with Stoke City, but they still head into their final home game of the season this weekend with just a two-point cushion to the bottom three.

Their fate remains uncertain, but while they have been unable to extricate themselves from the relegation battle despite stringing together their best run of results all season, Advocaat is confident another success in two days time will remove any pressure ahead of the trips to Arsenal and Chelsea in the final week of the campaign.

“It’s a little bit frustrating that we still have to fight so hard to stay up,” said the Black Cats head coach. “We thought six points would be enough (when he arrived to replace Poyet), then we got to ten and we still need another three.

“Hopefully we can do that on Saturday, and it’s a big plus to have things in our own hands. Last week we said that if we could get four points out of the two games against Everton and Leicester (they would survive), but we still need even more.”

Advocaat hopes to have John O’Shea available for this weekend’s game, although given the strength of Wes Brown and Sebastian Coates’ performances at Everton, it is far from certain that the centre-half will be recalled even if he is passed fit.

O’Shea missed the trip to Goodison Park because of a rib injury, and while he has stepped up his recovery programme in the last 48 hours, he is still to return to full training with the rest of the squad.

“It’s difficult to say (if he will be available on Saturday),” said Advocaat. “He has trained separately, so we’ll see on Thursday.”

Advocaat could opt to name an unchanged team at the weekend as Sunderland’s second-half attacking display at Everton was as effective as anything they have produced all season.

Jermain Defoe and Connor Wickham worked tirelessly in both halves of the field, but for the second game in succession, it was the previously derided Danny Graham who produced the most eye-catching display.

Graham claimed his first goal in a Sunderland shirt as he deflected Jordi Gomez’s strike beyond Tim Howard, and while the success had a sizeable element of fortune to it, Advocaat felt it was a fitting reward for the Gateshead-born striker’s efforts in the last two months.

“It was great,” he said. “Not only for him, but also for the team because we were desperate to get a goal. For Jermain Defoe too, scoring again (was important).

“I’ve always said that at a certain moment they’d start scoring goals, and it wouldn’t matter what kind because they all count.”

 

* Seb Larsson was named Player of the Year at the Sunderland Supporters’ Association awards evening, with Connor Wickham claiming the Young Player of the Year award.

Jack Rodwell was awarded the Community Player of the Year accolade, with Sunderland Ladies duo Beth Mead and Rachel Furness winning the Young Player and Player of the Year awards from the women’s ranks.