John O'Shea has pointed out just how vital it is for Sunderland to pick up three points as soon as possible.

The Black Cats find themselves sitting 17th on the Premier League table, just one point above the bottom three, ahead of Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby with arch rivals Newcastle United.

Ahead of the monumental clash, captain O'Shea has targeted maximum points - despite the fact it's against the Magpies - to avoid falling into the drop zone.

"That's the big issue," O'Shea told the club's official website.

"Whoever we were facing this weekend, be it Newcastle, be it Crystal Palace, be it Southampton, whoever the case may be, it's a case of getting the three points as soon as we can and getting everyone energised again and looking forward to the remaining games.

"Look, we know we're not in the position that we'd like to be in, but we know we can get out of it. It's in our hands."