Sunderland

Niall Quinn tells Sunderland: 'Hire Dick Advocaat'

By Shane Callaghan, Reporter | 20 May 2015

Former Sunderland player and chairman Niall Quinn says that the club must offer manager Dick Advocaat a longer deal after the Black Cats achieved Premier League safety.

Sunderland legend Niall Quinn has demanded that the club's hierarchy retain the services of manager Dick Advocaat after guiding them to Premier League safety.

Advocaat, who replaced Gus Poyet in March, was visibly emotional as his side won a point at Arsenal last night to win their relegation battle with one game to spare.

Sunderland sat just one point above danger when the Dutchman came in on a short-term deal, and Quinn, a former player and chairman at the Stadium of Light, says that a longer contract is a no-brainer now.

"This man has got the first team organised," Quinn told Sky Sports News. "He hasn't worried about anything else. He's worked with them on the training ground and he's guided them over the line his way. It's been a pleasure to watch because it looked lost before he came in.

"He's kept it all to himself, said very little in his interviews, he's took all the strain and he's taken the sting out of it for the players. The pressure that was on the players, he removed it. It's a remarkable effort from a great man.

"Things looked very bad six weeks ago. Dick Advocaat came in to a demoralised dressing room and a demoralised stadium. He's come in and organised them. It's been Tony Pulis-like, in that he stopped them knocking the ball around for the sake of it and got them going more direct."

Sunderland conclude their season with a visit to champions Chelsea on Sunday.