Sunderland are winless in nine games in the Premier League this season, but Jermaine Jenas says that will change when they start using Jermain Defoe in his best position.

"Defoe is one of the best players and I would put him as one of the best goalscorers I’ve seen and played with," said Jenas on BBC Radio 5 live on Friday night. "But he is not playing up front. They have chucked him on the left wing.

“What he is, is a dying breed, but you need goals and he guarantees that so you keep playing him.”

Image source, Getty Images

Keith in Hertfordshire: Last season we lost the first 5 opening games. We then played top of the league. 3-0 down at half time we came back to draw 3-3 with myself scoring the equalising goal. We then won every game for the rest of the season (except one loss) and finished second in the league gaining promotion. The best season of football I've ever been a part of.

We asked what's your favourite derby moment as a player? Did you score the winner for the Cross Keys against the pub next door?

Or make a last-minute penalty save for your university side against your hated rivals?

Tweet us using the hashtag #getinspired or text 81111

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Fancy yourself as a bit of a mystic meg? Prove it then by predicting the scores for all today's games.

See how your guesses fare against other supporters and pundit Mark Lawrenson, plus get feedback from BBC Sport's team including Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.  

Fancy your chances? Click here to play.

Image source, #bbcfootball

Read more of Lawro's thoughts on this and the rest of today's games by clicking on this link.

Durham's ex-England all-rounder has his say...

There will be live text on this game coming up later on a different page on the BBC Sport website/app.

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce told BBC Sport: "It's probably the most nervous game you face in the entire season.

"Sunderland have an epic recent record. I have to try and keep that up.

"Anybody in football must have ambition. Eventually you realise the level. Opportunity is rarer for English coaches. Our game has grown in the last 15 or 20 years because we are the biggest brand.

"We must aim higher than just staying up. But we need to go inch by inch and point by point to make sure Sunderland do better each year."

Image source, Reuters

Eugene de Rastignac: My best derby was against the team of my best friend, he was a goalkeeper and me a striker, we won 6-1.

Cambo: Woodchurch School vs Ridgeway School 

Marco Lambert: Lowick v Rothbury 

We asked what's your favourite derby moment as a player? Did you score the winner for the Cross Keys against the pub next door?

Or make a last-minute penalty save for your university side against your hated rivals?

Tweet us using the hashtag #getinspired or text 81111

Sunderland Echo reporter Chris Young gives an indication of the frosty reception that Newcastle midfielder Jack Colback is set to get at the home of his former club.

Steve Wilson
BBC Match of the Day commentator

"How to summarise the importance of this game to both teams? 'Crucial' barely seems to scratch the surface.

"Sam Allardyce, the only man ever to manage both clubs, is eager not to be the first Sunderland manager to lose to Newcastle since Steve Bruce.

"Steve McClaren is so pre-occupied that he wrote an open letter to the Newcastle faithful calling their run of derby defeats 'unbearable'.

"The truth may be that both clubs have been hamstrung in recent years by their clinical obsession with each other."

Sunderland make three switches from the 1-0 defeat by West Brom. In come Jeremain Lens, Ola Toivonen and Adam Johnson. Out go Seb Larsson, Jordi Gomez and Fabio Borini, who has a knock.

Unsurprisingly Newcastle don't make any changes from the side who beat Norwich 6-2 last weekend. Four-goal Georginio Wijnaldum keeps his place.

Sunderland: Pantilimon, Yedlin, O'Shea, Kaboul, Jones, Cattermole, M'Vila, Lens, Toivonen, Johnson, Fletcher. Subs: Van Aanholt, Larsson, Gomez, Defoe, Coates, Mannone, Watmore. 

Newcastle: Elliot, Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Dummett, Sissoko, Tiote, Colback, Wijnaldum, Perez, Mitrovic. Subs: Anita, Cisse, De Jong, Lascelles, Haidara, Thauvin, Woodman. 

Former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet has defended manager Jose Mourinho.

"It's not the problem of any one person," the former Sunderland boss told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek. 

"You cannot take all praise when you win and you can't be criticised for everything when you lose. 

"Normally in England unfortunately we go for the head of the manager, but, if you haven't been on the touchline, you don't know how you feel in certain situations. We only look at the bad things. 

"I do like Mourinho and I have no doubt he will keep his job."

Image source, Getty Images

Soon, we'll turn our attentions to Sunderland v Newcastle. They should announce their line-ups in about 10 minutes.

Not a great omen for Chelsea fans. Are they facing a season out of the Champions League?

Let us know the names of the teams involved in your games!

My favourite derby moment as a supporter was when Oxford beat Swindon 2-0 despite having top scorer James Constable sent off after 10 minutes.

Swindon's Matt Ritchie, now of Premier League and Scotland fame, was booked for shoving a ball-boy.

Sorry to remind you of that game Swindon fans.

(Disclaimer: I'm not even slightly sorry)

Image source, Getty Images

We want to know your great derby moments as a player. Keep them coming.

Image source, Rex Features

BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek had Chelsea Supporters' Trust chairman Tim Rolls on this morning.

"The manager is obviously not happy but Nemanja Matic, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa are not performing to the same level. The cause of this I don’t know. I don’t think it is complacency.

"The problem was it happened right at the start of the season. It started very poorly and continued.

"There are a few hotheads on social media. There is a bit of growling about the performances but there is no groundswell of people wanting him out at all."