Former Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn fears his old club will be down if they lose the derby against Newcastle United.
Quinn wrote in the Daily Mail: "If Sunderland lose this and are left with one point from nine games then it will be extremely hard for them to survive.
"For the remainder of the season, they would have to produce top-six form, not fourth-from-bottom form, to have a chance of staying up.
"No matter who you are, that would be very hard. That is why I think this derby takes on a whole new dimension, a whole new meaning."
