LEE CATTERMOLE has issued a warning to Sunderland’s relegation rivals by claiming Dick Advocaat’s players have shown they possess the fight to keep Premier League football at the Stadium of Light next season.

The battle to avoid the drop through the Championship trapdoor has intensified after a recent wins for all of the teams sitting within a point of the 18th placed Black Cats - with the exception of crisis-torn neighbours Newcastle United.

Newcastle’s mess has been further highlighted this week by Steve McClaren’s decision to rule out the possibility of taking over for the final few games of a depressing season on Tyneside which came to a head with a calamitous defeat at Leicester on Saturday.

Interim head coach John Carver will lead the side in the run-in after a meeting with managing director Lee Charnley and clear the air talks with the squad, having accused the majority of them of not trying and stating Mike Williamson had deliberately got himself sent off.

But Cattermole, who accepts Sunderland should have fared better this season and particularly in home defeats against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, does not think there are any similar issues on Wearside as those engulfing Tyneside.

"No, no, we are not going to cave in again, that's for sure,” said Cattermole, who had a look of disgust on his face at the mere suggestion that it could happen.

“There are too many lads in the dressing room who care. That won't happen again and we will make sure of that. If, for some reason, we do go down, we will do it fighting hard to the bitter end but we are determined that won't happen.

"I think the fans saw those fighting qualities against Southampton. There's been a lot of negativity around recently and it's not great when you look at the league table. We don't have the biggest of squads, particularly with injuries to key players, especially attacking players.

“But anyone who has watched us in these past two weeks will see we have been really positive, on the front foot, aggressive and hard. It's not been pretty at times but we have looked as if we could get the job done.”

Despite securing the much-needed victory over European contenders Southampton on Saturday courtesy of two penalties from Jordi Gomez, Sunderland remained in the bottom three. Victory, however, has increased pressure on those above them, particularly Hull and Newcastle who lost their weekend games.

Cattermole said: “It's not nice when the league table keeps popping up on telly. It's difficult to look at but we believe we can come out of it in the end. Beating Southampton was massive but we have to show the same attitude, every day, not just match days.

“It is not just on the pitch on a Saturday but in training every day, keeping standards so high 24/7. We have been producing some great football behind the scenes and it is starting to come out now.”

Of Advocaat's five matches, Sunderland have won two and drawn one. That is a significant improvement from the final 11 league matches of Gus Poyet’s tenure, whereby the Black Cats only claimed one league win.

The players liked Poyet, but Advocaat’s presence on the training ground and on the sidelines has given Sunderland a lift – even if many still believe it is too little, too late ahead of games with Everton, Leicester, Arsenal and Chelsea.

"The new manager’s very calm, very composed and very experienced,” said Cattermole. “Probably just what we need right now because he's got such belief in the way he does things. And everywhere he's been, it's worked and it's beginning to work here now.

"The lads are hanging on his every word and following him in the direction he wants to take us. It's not been easy. No-one gives you anything in the Premier League and you have got to keep working.

"In the past, maybe after we have won games, we have been a bit complacent in the next one so we have to stay firm and focused, recover from this and keep training well.”

An unlikely hero could yet turn out to be Danny Graham. The former Middlesbrough striker was man of the match for many against Southampton for the effort he put in, despite the fact he's still to break his Sunderland scoring duck.

Cattermole was at Boro with Gateshead-born Graham and the midfielder, likely to be the skipper at Everton in the absence of struggling John O’Shea, said: “Danny got an incredible reception, didn't he considering where he is from? I love Danny to bits.

“He is a great lad to have around and you know he will work his socks off for the team. You just have to look at him. He is bang on all the time. He brings others into play and I am sure Jermain and Connor enjoyed having him up there because he works to hard. He brought his second half display against Stoke into the Southampton game.

"We'd love to see him score. He's our best finisher in training. His quality is unbelievable but the way he plays the game, he will create chances for others. I made him our man of the match on Saturday.”