Sunderland focus on improvement
03 Jul 2009 - 13:04:48
Quinn has insisted that Bruce will preside over gradual adjustments to the playing personnel rather than wholesale changes at the Wearside club.
"We've got some lovely footballers at the club and Steve recognises that," Quinn said.
"The day he was appointed, even before that, we said what we wanted and that's someone who could put a couple of men in there amongst good players and let's all mature together. Steve gets that, gets what we need and understands it more than most people.
"We're on the same wavelength in terms of the type of player we need and I'll not interfere once I know it's that type of player who wants to come and give a performance week in, week out that the people will applaud. Steve knows that more than anyone.
"Steve knows the type of character we need to play in front of what can be a brilliant crowd or a tough crowd and you need to be a man to get through it. I think the third year in (following promotion), people are seeing us as a better option than they did in the first year.
"Then it was 'ooh, we want to see some evidence'. The second year, yes, we brought players in and looking back, we may have bought too many and maybe it upset the dressing room a little bit, but we did get some good ones.
"There's some fabulous talent in there and if we can harness it with a couple of steely characters coming in there, it'll give us a chance. Our manager gets what we're about."
The selective recruitment policy under new owner Ellis Short means Sunderland will focus on a limited number of key targets this summer in the shape of Darren Bent, Richard Dunne and Lee Cattermole, rather than the extensive changes that characterised the Roy Keane era.
"We haven't give up on any of our targets, but nor have we thrown our cards on the table to show our hand either," added the former Republic of Ireland international, who insisted existing players would be handed a chance to prove themselves to Bruce.
"Steve has a few players that we'd love to have, but he's very insistent on having a good look at what we have and he's probably right.
"We've maybe got some players who weren't able to do well under a previous manager who might come alive and suddenly you've got an asset you didn't realise you had.
"That's good too. Rather than just trading for the sake of it, let's try and be intelligent and smart. We know what we need and where we need it.
"It's pretty obvious Djibril (Cisse) has gone and that we need a centre-forward. That doesn't take a lot to work out. There are areas where we have to do something, but there'll be an opportunity for others too.
"I can remember when George Graham came to Arsenal. He didn't sign anyone and gave me a chance to prove myself. He signed Alan Smith a year later, but at least I got that year. Steve's decent that way and he won't make any decisions until he sees things for himself."
Quinn is hoping players such as Anton Ferdinand, Kieran Richardson and compatriot Andy Reid flourish under the new regime.
"I'm looking forward to people like Andy Reid becoming men this year," Quinn concluded.
"I hope it happens. I hope we bring in one or two people and that sparks and then others up their game and up their responsibility levels and up their opinions of themselves, more than anything.
"When Anton Ferdinand matures, he's got the opportunity to become an international footballer for England in time. Kieran Richardson can have a brilliant career if he steps up that maturity level and it doesn't happen because you talk to them, it happens because they see it around them.
"There are a couple of others who can go a lot further than they have done and that's what our task is this year. If Andy can get back into the Ireland team, if Anton and Kieran get international caps, then nobody will be happier than me. They won't be pulled out because of injuries or stuff like that - we'll be pushing them out of the door to try and drive their careers forward."
