‘That might come back and bite me’- Alan Shearer makes Sunderland promotion admission
Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer has claimed he wants to see Sunderland get promoted while throwing a dig at the Black Cats in the process.
Sunderland, despite enduring a three-game winless run, occupy the top spot in the Championship although that could change after international break when they face Millwall with several first-team players absent.
However, Shearer has admitted he would like to see the Black Cats promoted, perhaps for an insulting reason.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast (12 November) he said in response to whether he wants to see Sunderland promoted: ” Yes, definitely. Absolutely. We want Sunderland back in the Premier League because it’s guaranteed six points for us, isn’t it? That might come back and bite me in the future.
“You want to play in those games. They’re great derby games to play in St James’ and at Sunderland. So, yeah, I want them. I do actually want them back up because they’re not only good games for the players, but for the fans to look forward to as well.”
Sunderland need to utilise the January window for promotion
Utilising the window goes both ways. Departures and incomings.
Sunderland have had plenty of players tipped to leave the club with Chris Rigg linked to Manchester United and Dennis Cirkin to Leeds United.
Although, the Wearsdiers need to retain their best players to have a fighting chance of promotion come the end of the campaign. The money will provide a tempting proposition for Sunderland but they simply cannot afford to cash in on their prized assets during a season.
Incomings are also going to be crucial. The Black Cats have a strong squad that has some areas of improvement that need to be addressed in January. If they don’t, other teams will and it will leave them behind.
Ambition is a word that has been thrown around a lot on Wearside and January is the perfect opportunity for the club to showcase that with their dealings in the transfer window.
In other Sunderland news, Carlton Palmer believes that the Black Cats should be wanting around £70million for Tommy Watson and Chris Rigg if they were to sell in January.
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