SAM ALLARDYCE wants six wins from Sunderland’s 13 remaining fixtures if he is to keep Premier League football on Wearside next season – and thinks he might just have the players capable of doing it.

The Black Cats are still four points adrift of safety despite a spirited 2-2 draw at Liverpool on Saturday when they came from two goals down with eight minutes remaining to claim a point.

And, coupled with last week’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City when Sunderland could easily have claimed something, Allardyce believes the signs are encouraging after his January recruitment drive.

He fielded new signings Whabi Khazri, Jan Kirchhoff and Lamine Kone from the start at Anfield before also introducing Dame N’Doye early in the game when Duncan Watmore was forced off with an ankle problem.

Allardyce feels that recently acquired quartet have settled into the Sunderland squad and are have given the fight for survival a massive lift even though it is Manchester United next up at the Stadium of Light this weekend.

“I think from the 13 games we need six wins,” said Allardyce, who has now failed to win at Anfield in any of his 13 attempts during his managerial career. “They have done it before, haven't they? They're good at miraculous recoveries here – let's hope we are again.”

He added: “But the character we showed here will be hugely important if we can repeat it. I do believe in a short period of time the new players have added some quality to the squad.

“Kone's defending is exceptionally good – he probably won more headers than anybody in the team in areas where it would have caused us more problems in the past than it did.

“With Wahbi on the left-hand side. When you think he's just come from Bordeaux and slotted in on the left-hand side with the energy and ability. N'Doye up front has experienced the Premier League before and scored five goals for Hull at the back end of last season. If he can do that for us now ...

“Jan, not so much at Liverpool, but certainly against Manchester City showed the quality of his passing. The fact we didn't play as well at Anfield may have been because Jan felt the pace a little bit.

“He was the mainstay of all that was good for us against Man City but I think he felt the pace of the Liverpool game a little too quick for him because he hadn't fully recovered from Tuesday night. He's got a full week this week and hopefully we can get a result against Manchester United and go on from there.”

Allardyce does not think staying up will be purely down to the new boys, claiming that those already at the club will be just as crucial during the final few months of the campaign.

“When you get players coming to a club in the position we are in the Premier League with a big smile on their face it can hopefully have an effect on the other lads and Kone has done that,” said Allardyce.

“Life has been tough for them since the start of the season and for me since I took over. You've got to keep a good spirit around the place. These lads have come in fresh and want to prove themselves and do well. Hopefully that can lift the others.”

On reflection the point earned at Liverpool did not lift Sunderland any closer to safety, but Allardyce feels it could be crucial going into the remaining fixtures for a squad which has struggled to get results.

He said: “It could be a big point. We've still got an awful long way to go but a point here is precious, especially under the circumstances. If the lads can show that sort of spirit and never-say-die attitude they've got a good chance.

“If they can start playing like they did on Tuesday night, and play with that type of spirit and score goals like they scored at Liverpool, they've a good chance of getting out of trouble. Our games are running out.

“A draw was good enough because nobody would have expected us to get a draw. That precious point will hopefully start leading to a victory very, very shortly because we need to start putting a few three-pointers on the board.”

Sunderland will be carefully assessing the fitness of Defoe this week after he hobbled off with a tweak of his hamstring at Anfield. Watmore also limped away from Anfield after turning his ankle, although he hopes that it is not too bad.

Fabio Borini had to withdraw from the squad through illness, while Jeremain Lens has missed the last two games with a calf problem.