Zenden targets top 10 finish

Boudewijn Zenden has insisted Sunderland’s season will be a failure if they finish outside the top 10.

The Black Cats had been seen as real candidates for a place in Europe after their impressive start to the season that saw them feature prominently in the top half of the table.

However, the £24million club record sale of Darren Bent to Aston Villa in January, coupled with injuries to key personnel, caused their early season promise to evaporate.

Coupled with the resurgence of Liverpool and Everton, and Bolton’s continuing excellence this term, a European place appears to be a diminishing prospect.

One point

Sunderland have yielded just one point from their last six outings, and after Sunday’s fixture against Manchester City, they will complete the remaining seven games of their programme against more modest opposition.

“It’s all that tight that everything is possible,” said Zenden. “It’s nice to be up there during the season, but we have always said it’s more important to be there at the end of the season.

“If you look at a team like Everton, who were struggling at the beginning, and where they are now, even Liverpool for example, it definitely is important where you finish.

“If you have got eight games to go, you have got a lot to play for. But it is time to step up and start picking up the points.

“Obviously, you set your targets. Target one has always been finishing in the top 10 and, if you look at the team we have got, that’s definitely something that we should achieve.”

Quality

Zenden believes the lack of bodies at Sunderland’s training ground due to the number of international call-ups they had demonstrated their quality.

It is a quality he feels leaves them with little explanation should they fail to finish amongst the top 10 at the end of the season.

“If we don’t, we have underachieved because last week we only had five or six players left because everyone was gone with the internationals, and that means you have got quality in your squad,” he added.

“With that quality comes certain expectations, and one of those is definitely finishing in the top 10.

“That’s what we should still aim for and start picking up the points.”