Sunderland´s ´top´ squad will be fine – Defoe

Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe is expecting his team to survive in the Premier League this season due to the impressive impact of their January signings.

Sam Allardyce’s men are 17th in the table, one point ahead of Norwich City and Newcastle United, with Steve McClaren’s charges holding a game in hand.

Defoe scored in Sunderland’s 1-1 draw at Southampton on Saturday and he has little doubt that relegation will be avoided by a squad he believes is high in quality.

“I think we will be fine,” he said to Sky Sports. “I believe from now until the end of the season we will win a few games because of the way we are playing and the players we have got.

“The new signings – Wahbi Khazri, Lamine Kone, all of them, and even the lads that came in during the summer like Younes Kaboul – have lifted us. 

“Emmanuel Eboue looks like he’s going to sign too, so it’s a top squad on paper. But there’s no point just saying we have got good players, you have to go out and perform.

“The rewards are so big that the lads should enjoy that pressure, if they can, and make sure we kick on and try and win games.

“We just have to make sure that, when that whistle goes on the last game of the season, we are looking forward to coming back to play in the Premier League.”

Sunderland are not back in action until they face rivals Newcastle in a pivotal derby clash at St James’ Park on March 20.