Quinn: we’ll stick with Bruce even if we drop

SUNDERLAND chairman Niall Quinn has told Steve Bruce he will keep his job as manager even if the Black Cats are relegated.

A bright start to the campaign saw Bruce’s raft of summer signings settle quickly in the North East but in the past of couple of months the club have stuttered alarmingly.

Tuesday night’s 4-0 win over relegation rivals Bolton came as a welcome relief for the Black Cats, who face Manchester City tomorrow, given it was their first triumph in 15 games.

Quinn has been unstinting in his support for Bruce and in a remarkable pledge has said even relegation would not bring him to question his manager’s position.

“If we go down, he’ll still be the manager. I just feel he shares the same passion that the fans have, the owner has, we all have. And he does it in a diligent way. The way he carries himself and projects our club is everything we wanted,’’ said Quinn.

“We’re trying to make a step up in the toughest league in the world. We know it’s going to take guts and determination and hard work aligned with other stuff like a good transfer policy, getting things right tactically and in terms of motivation.

“There were some tough knock-backs but we think he’s the right man to get this club where we all want it.’’

While Bruce’s position at Sunderland appears to be watertight, Quinn has warned his under-performing players that universal wage cuts will be made in the event of relegation.

“There would be a 40% reduction in our salaries if we went down. We could then breathe. People used to say you can’t do it but we have for every new signing.

“We say to players don’t come unless you are prepared to accept a penalty for failure. We have to have a performance-related wage structure.’’

Quinn, meanwhile, feels Black Cats owner Ellis Short knows exactly what the dreams of the club’s fans are — because he is one.

Quinn claims the Texan tycoon has not only provided the cash to give the Black Cats a firm financial foundation, but also shares the same emotions as the thousands of supporters who turn out every week, home and away, to watch them play.

Quinn said of Ellis: “He is Sunderland through and through, his family are. His son goes to school every day in a Sunderland shirt, which isn’t an easy thing to do down in London, but that’s the difference in our owner.

“He doesn’t want publicity, he is not doing it to be patted on the back by fans. He is doing it because he is in there now, he is one of us.

“He is hoping there is a big future here.”