Poyet focused on ending Mackems’ Monday malaise

Gus Poyet insists he does not care what arch-rivals Newcastle do as he attempts to end Sunderland’s Monday malaise at Crystal Palace tonight.

The Black Cats have slipped into the bottom three as a result of their horrific 8-0 defeat at Southampton and last weekend’s 2-0 reverse at the hands of Arsenal, the Gunners making the most of two dreadful defensive errors to claim the points.

At the same time, Newcastle have put together a run of four successive victories, at home to Leicester and Liverpool and away at Tottenham and Manchester City, to climb out of the drop zone and book their place in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals.