THEY might have moved to the periphery of the first-team picture at the Stadium of Light, but Lee Cattermole claims the likes of John O’Shea, Wes Brown and Seb Larsson should not be overlooked when assessing Sunderland’s improved form in the last couple of months.

The Black Cats entertain Arsenal tomorrow, and in the wake of last weekend’s crucial 3-0 win over Norwich, a victory over the Gunners would lift Sam Allardyce’s side out of the bottom three for the first time since the start of last month.

While Sunderland remain deep in relegation trouble, they have lost just two of their last nine matches, and their recent form has led to increased optimism about their survival prospects.

Their improvement has been attributed to a number of factors, including the coaching input of boss Sam Allardyce, the arrival of four new signings in the January transfer window and the subsequent demotion of a number of players who have been heavily involved in the last few seasons.

However, Cattermole feels it would be wrong to overlook the continued input of some of the senior figures who are finding themselves out of the side, insisting they remain crucial figures within the dressing room.

“When you look at the players who have been here since Steve (Bruce) brought us in – people like Sheasy (O’Shea), Wes and Seb – then it’s important they don’t get overlooked,” said Cattermole, who lost his own place in the starting line-up last month, only to be recalled for the goalless draw with West Brom.

“I think they’ve been the core of the team for the last three or four years and had a massive say in us staying up. They’re still rallying around the dressing room, which you wouldn't necessarily expect to see from lads who aren't playing.

“But I wouldn't expect to see anything else from them. I've been the same this season - been left out of the team, changing positions and you find yourself frustrated. But you've got to look away from yourself at times and think if the manager thinks it's the best thing for the team, then you have to follow him.

“We've got a lot of good professionals in the squad and it's important we can do this (survive) again and hopefully not find ourselves in this position again in the future.”

It is often said that the strength of a side’s spirit can be ascertained from the attitude of the players who are not in the team. In that respect, Sunderland are clearly doing something right, and Allardyce deserves credit for the way in which he has held morale together despite his side’s struggles in the bottom three.

Cattermole acknowledges that the 61-year-old is an astute man manager, but claims the players themselves also deserve considerable credit for the way in which they have handled themselves.

Brown has made just six senior appearances all season yet remains an influential figure, while neither O’Shea nor Larsson has opted to sulk despite seeing their status diminish under Allardyce.

“When you've got good professionals and good players, you don't really need a manager to look after them,” said Cattermole. “Seb trains every day and wants to get back in. He does the running and keeps on top of things.

“I think Seb's great, and I'll voice that to anybody. He's not in (the team) at the minute, but if he got a chance, he'd take it and that's what you want - competition in the squad.

“I'm sure he'll be needed at some point, and he put a great half-hour in at Norwich to just make things more solid for us.”

With the Arsenal game not kicking off until tomorrow, Sunderland will be in 19th position by the time they return to action if a seemingly resurgent Newcastle United win at Liverpool this afternoon.

The timing of games can be crucial at this stage of the season, but having been involved in a series of relegation battles in the last few seasons, Cattermole claims a number of his team-mates have become adept at shutting off potential distractions.

“One thing we’ve always done well over the years is focus on ourselves,” he said. “After the game, you ask how everyone has got on, which is normal. But for us, Monday to Saturday, we’re focused on ourselves.

“Now, we've got a game at home against Arsenal. We've been good at home, even though we've had games when we've been on top and not been able to get the goals. Hopefully on Sunday, we can find that bit of space and get our shots away.”