Ball not looking at the long term

KEVIN BALL is in possession of the Sunderland manager’s job at least until the end of the season but the 41-year-old is refusing to look beyond his first game in charge.

The former club skipper, who has been an academy coach for the last two years, was appointed caretaker manager for the remaining 10 games of the season following Mick McCarthy’s sacking yesterday.

He is now the bookies’ second-favourite behind Rangers’ Alex McLeish to get the job on a permanent basis, although the odds on Niall Quinn have also been slashed today.