Sam Allardyce labels Newcastle vs Sunderland derby as biggest in its history
Friday 18 March 2016 11:54, UK
Sam Allardyce has urged Sunderland to produce their best performance of the season in the Tyne-Wear derby, which he has labelled the biggest in its history.
The Black Cats face fiercest rivals Newcastle at St James' Park on Super Sunday - live on Sky Sports 1 from 12.30pm - with both sides battling for Premier League survival.
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Only a point separates Sunderland in 17th and Newcastle in 19th and Allardyce said: "I don't think there's been a Newcastle-Sunderland derby as big as this one for the wrong reasons.
"We shouldn't be associated with being at the bottom, but we are, so it makes it even bigger. The three points at stake are going to be massive to whoever wins the game.
"It is a long time coming for us because of the weekend free we had last week, we didn't want it, but we had to cope with it and hopefully the players will be ready physically, mentally and tactically to go out and produce one of the best performances of the season to win it.
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"The three points, to whichever side gets it, puts them in a really good position to try and get safe with only eight games left to go.
"This is as big a derby as any other in this country. You can say when Manchester United and Manchester City are at the top of the league that's the biggest derby of the season, but it isn't any bigger than this one.
"This area, people live for their football week-in week-out, they want to see their team win and when they play their local rival they want to see them win that one.
"There's a massive atmosphere and the players have to enjoy it, absorb that atmosphere and hope it brings the best out of them."
Allardyce took the time to play down his long-standing feud with Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez, having previously been involved in a number of public spats with the Spaniard.
"It is not about me or Rafa on Sunday, apart from us doing our job behind the scenes, it's about both sets of players," he said.
"I am sure there is nothing I can say or do, there's certainly nothing Rafa can do or say in his press conference that can rattle me and that's for sure.
"We have got to get the players ready for the battle and hopefully we'll win the battle on Sunday."
