Lawrence: Black Cats would bounce back

Sunderland midfielder Liam Lawrence has predicted his side will bounce straight back up if they are relegated from the Barclays Premiership.

The 24-year-old former Mansfield midfielder blasted the Black Cats into a shock lead over runaway leaders Chelsea on Sunday as they turned in a spirited display before going down 2-1.

That left them 16 points adrift of safety and with only one league victory to their name so far this season, a record which means they will have to pull off a miraculous escape if they are to avoid an immediate return to the Coca-Cola Championship.

Lawrence and his team-mates are not prepared to accept that as a foregone conclusion, but if the worst happens, he is confident their top-flight exile will be short-lived.

“I’m living the dream, if you like,” he told Sky Sports News. “Me and Deano [Dean Whitehead], people like that, Stephen Elliott, Danny Collins.

“We are buzzing and just want to keep playing, and this is where we want to play our football, in the Premier League.

“We don’t want to go down and get relegated – but I’m sure if we do, we will come straight back up and do well.”