Rowell: Cats can relish Villa and Liverpool tests
Two away games are coming up now that I'm really looking forward to.
Villa Park and Anfield are two of the great grounds of the Premier League and a reminder of just what an elite group of clubs that we belong to. These are the away trips you relish if you are a travelling supporter and with good reason.
I've always had a soft spot for Villa Park, it's one of my favourite grounds. It might not be as glamorous or famous as Anfield but it's still a special place and let's not forget Villa's long tradition or the fact that they've won a European Cup themselves.
I've been a part of a Sunderland team that has won on both grounds and loved watching our fans celebrating at the final whistle and these sort of games are the reason why everyone wants to be a footballer.
It would be nice to think that we might manage an away win in one of these games and while that might seem pie in the sky on the face of it, I wouldn't rule it out.
There are two great things about these games – firstly, we're not expected to really do anything in them, anything we get from either match will be a bonus; secondly, we've done well enough in the last four games to take the pressure off ourselves.
Our players don't' have to worry about that horrible run anymore and they don't have to be fretful about impending relegation either.
So I'm hoping that the players will be able to relax and express themselves and maybe cause a shock or two.
Rafa Benitez's Liverpool and Martin O'Neill's Villa have had contrasting seasons.
Liverpool are higher in the table but with dropping out of the
Champions League and the cups, coupled with their all-important top four spot being in jeopardy, these are anxious times at Anfield.
Villa are lower but have reached one cup final, could reach another and are dark horses to come through at the top end of the table with games
in hand.
I'm just going to enjoy the contests and hope Sunderland do themselves justice.
If they do, they'll be no pushovers for either team.
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
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