Sunderland will take on Blackburn Rovers this afternoon.
Blackburn Rovers boss John Eustace has labelled Sunderland a “top team” ahead of their Boxing Day clash at Ewood Park.
The Black Cats come to Lancashire looking to open up a nine-point lead over their opponents, who are only one place lower in the Championship table after an impressive recent run of success. A six-game winning streak came to an end against Millwall at the weekend, and Eustace is well aware that Regis Le Bris’ side will also pose a tough challenge to his squad.
In a news conference, he stated: “Sunderland has a great away record, so it will be a very good game – fourth vs. fifth on Boxing Day.” They’ve done exceptionally well, and they’ve received excellent coaching. They have a good team of players who have been together for a time. They are the league’s top team and will be there or thereabouts.
“We want to play the best teams in the league with our home crowd behind us. This is where we want to be. We wanted to rally the crowd behind the players, and they can see how committed they are.
The fans have been fantastic at home and away, with 1,500 at Millwall. We’re quite proud of that, and the lads genuinely care about one another and the club. “Having a lot of support at home during the Christmas season will be quite crucial. They can see that we are evolving and progressing, and they are continuously competing for the badge. That is what you want to see. You have times when you feel sorry for yourself, and you become injured. As you can see, this group will be there until the end of the season.
He added: “It would be fantastic to have excellent outcomes, but we are also conscious of the opponents we are up against. The lads will be prepared, and whatever happens will not be due to a lack of fighting. You can’t always guarantee victory, but we’re prepared for the challenge ahead. I believe the league is fairly wide open. The top two or three teams have the greatest rosters in the league. Until now, it’s been extremely open. We want to keep doing what we are doing and see where it takes us.”
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