Niall Quinn has backed Sunderland boss Steve Bruce to turn the club’s poor start to the campaign around, and has promised to give the manager time to salvage The Black Cats’ season.
The Irishman has stepped down as the Wearside outfit’s chairman to take on a new role as head of international development, and has been replaced by former owner Ellis Short.
The changing of roles will not threaten Bruce’s job however, quite the opposite.
“Steve is not isolated by this – it’s the exact opposite,” the former striker told The Daily Mail.
“It’s time for him to build a closer relationship with Ellis.
“Steve will get time for this team to gel. There’s another window looming. Unless the situation becomes apocalyptic, and it’s no good worrying about that, Steve will get time.
“For the overall good of the club this is right. I am happy, absolutely. Ellis is happy – he is speaking to the manager today. You’ll find the manager will be happy tonight.
“Ellis will be a great chairman. The beauty of Ellis is that he has a presence. He has authority, he demands serious attention. After three years, he also understands football’s snakes and ladders nature, that it’s not about under-reaction or over-reaction.
“This can be the making of Steve Bruce. Steve has been in a jumpy world at clubs before, where he read things in the media, but with Ellis he won’t. Ellis is straightforward, a real man, no whispering.
“He’s not an operator. An operator runs with the hares and hunts with the hounds and to an extent I had to do that.
“Ellis is way above that. Don’t expect him to be a media darling. He doesn’t worry what’s said. And he doesn’t need to go out and sell himself because every Sunderland fan knows what he’s done in the last three years,” Quinn concluded.
The Stadium of Light side have only won one of their first seven games, and travel to take on Arsenal at the Emirates after the international break.
By Gareth McKnight
[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]
