ENGLAND striker Kevin Phillips blasted out a warning last night that Sunderland could find themselves bottom of the Premiership unless they snap out of the current decline.

Phillips goes into tomorrow's game against table-topping Leeds United anxious to end a run of three games without a goal - and determined to halt an alarming slide after three defeats in four games.

"This is a massive game for us - we need a good result," said the six-goal hit-man.

" It will be a tough match - Leeds are a good side - but it is time for us to put a run together and turn the corner and hopefully get some points on the board.

"If we don't get anything out of this game and we go to Liverpool next week we could quite easily find ourselves bottom of the league.

"We don't want to be there because we are better than that so it is a big test for us on Sunday."

Phillips believes that Sunderland are capable of much better performances than they have turned in of late, particularly in the rock-bottom 1-0 defeat at Leicester two weeks ago which followed hard on the heels of their hard-fought 1-1 home draw against championship contenders Arsenal.

He said: "We proved in our last home match against Arsenal that we can raise our game against the bigger sides and hopefully that will be the case on Sunday.

"But we need some consistency - we did exceptionally well against Arsenal and then we went to Leicester, who were sitting on the bottom of the table and didn't perform.

"We have got to get the right balance, but at the moment there is a lack of confidence in the side which just comes from bad results and we haven't played that well this season.

"But we have proved over the last two years that we can play against the big sides and we can play better than what we are at the moment - it's just a case of getting everything right on the same day."

Phillips got a lift by playing for 58 minutes in England's 1-1 draw in the friendly against Sweden at Old Trafford last week and he is aware that he needs to end his goal drought as quickly as possible.

He said: "My form has been okay, but obviously a lot's been said that I haven't scored in the last three games and my job is scoring goals so I'll be looking to bounce back on Sunday.

"But it is not about me at the moment - it is about the team getting results and getting points and climbing our way up the table."

He admitted: "Playing again for England last week gave me a big lift - and I am looking for playing against Leeds.

"I enjoyed my time with the England squad, but that's finished now. I want to concentrate on the game against Leeds and I am going into it confident - hopefully I can get some chances and get some goals."

Phillips admitted: "I am not making excuses - the chances I got against Leicester I didn't put away.

"It's a case of everything not coming together. We do need to create more, put more crosses in and do things early.

"If we can do things early and keep on top of our game we know we have got players in the side who will score goals, not just me."

Phillips feels that Leeds have a great chance in the Championship race. He said: "They are a good side and the encouraging thing at the moment is that there is no team running away with it. I think Leeds will go along way but whether they will win it I couldn't say but they have got the players there who could win it.

"But on Sunday they will be without a couple of key players, Kewell and Viduka and hopefully we can capitalise on that."

But Phillips knows he will be up against one of the best central defenders in Britain when he faces England team-mate Rio Ferdinand.

He said: "Rio has come on a bundle since he has been at Leeds. He has improved and matured and proved what a world class player he is.

"It is going to be a tough game, but these are the games you want to be able to pit yourself against the best."

* Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale's private enterprise will ensure Republic of Ireland trio Robbie Keane, Ian Harte and Gary Kelly are fresh to face Sunderland.

Keane and Harte were instrumental in steering the Republic through to next summer's World Cup finals, with manager Mick McCarthy's side celebrating a 2-1 play-off triumph over Iran, despite a 1-0 defeat in Tehran on Thursday.

Kelly also played his part in what proved to be a glorious day for Ireland, coming on as a late substitute in the Azadi Stadium, but the Leeds stars did not join their Republic team-mates on the flight home to Dublin.

Instead, to help manager David O'Leary's preparations for the game at the Stadium of Light, Ridsdale had arranged a private jet - believed to be at a cost of £30,000 - to collect the three players and fly them straight back into Leeds/Bradford airport.

Keane, Harte and Kelly landed at midnight and were able to get a good night's rest under their belt, unlike their Irish colleagues, including Sunderland's Niall Quinn, Jason McAteer and Kevin Kilbane, who did not touch down at Dublin until 5am.

Such an astute move allowed the three players to train with the rest of the United squad at Thorp Arch yesterday with O'Leary determined to see his side stay top of the Premier League table. ''Full credit to the chairman because he organised a private plane," said O'Leary

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