An injury update on Sunderland defender Omar Alderete
Sunderland have started the Premier League season in fine form.
Former Sunderland striker Darren Bent has suggested that the Black Cats could mount a European push this season following their stellar start to the new campaign.
After 10 matches, Regis Le Bris’ men find themselves fourth in the table with 18 points, and could have moved up to second had they beaten Everton at the Stadium of Light on Monday evening.
In the build-up to that contest, owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus hinted that his side’s recent purple patch has left him eyeing a top half finish this term, while head coach Le Bris has insisted in recent press conferences that the priority remains reaching a 40-point mark that he believes would all but guarantee safety as swiftly as possible.
But while Bent is of the opinion that a mid-table spot would constitute a “brilliant” outcome for his old employers, the pundit has also questioned whether their current form could have them dreaming of a remarkable European qualification bid if it continues for much longer.
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What did Darren Bent say about Sunderland’s potential European qualification hopes?
Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent said: “Sunderland, if they had won last night [Monday] could have gone second. I know they drew so they're still fourth, which is still incredible, but I still think - I mean, it's early - but there's no way on the planet that Sunderland are going down. That's for a fact. But I just wonder when Regis Le Bris’ expectations will start to change, because I understand, still now only ten games, in it might be a little bit of, ‘Right, listen, we still don't want to go down’, but it's gonna get to a point where, say, they're bouncing around the top ten - maybe a tenth, sixth, in around there - I wonder if his expectations might shift a little bit and he goes, ‘You know, what? Let's go for Europe’.”
He continued: “[If they finish 17th] The way they've started, I think they’d see it is a disappointment, because that means somewhere down the line their form would have completely fell off a cliff. If they finish 11th, brilliant. When you look at the newly promoted sides, how they’ve done the last couple of seasons, you'd go, ‘Oh my goodness’. You'd probably say 17th, they’d snap your hand off. Because of how Sunderland have started, I think if they finish 11th, that'd be a fantastic season. It gives them something to kind of feed off for next season, because they'll attract players I've got no doubt. Playing up there in front of those fans...”
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