Ricky Sbragia position will be under review at end of season

Mar 20 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

NIALL QUINN has warned Ricky Sbragia his position will be reviewed at the end of the season as Sunderland look to secure vital financial backing from American investor Ellis Short.

With Short still mulling over Quinn’s proposal to become the majority shareholder with a 51% stake in the club, the Black Cats’ chairman admitted everyone was on trial as he tries to convince the billionaire to provide another large cash injection in the summer.

And that includes Sbragia (pictured left), who effectively has nine games left to not only keep the Wearsiders in the top flight, but also provide firm evidence he is the man for the job in the long term. Sbragia signed an 18-month contract when he replaced former manager Roy Keane in December, but Quinn revealed the Scot could still be replaced in the summer, even if he avoids relegation.

“There is another decision to be made on Ricky,” said Quinn, who has repeated his plea for Sunderland supporters to take advantage of the club’s cut-price season ticket offer before the end of month. “I think every manager in the country has to prove they are the right man for the job.

“Ricky was a half-way house option which may end up being a great decision and he may kick on. That was a tough decision, but I was convinced at the time it was

the right one and time will tell whether it was or not. If we stay up on goal difference in the 93rd minute, it might not be so simple. He’s got 12 months (left in the summer), and we did that because we wanted to take some of the pressure off Ricky as well.

“Generally, I find that when people are asked to come in and do a job like Ricky was, which was to keep us up, he should be supported and if he keeps us up, then he should be supported, but that’s raising a new issue there.

“These are the types of thing which are going to be important moving forward. It is an opportunity for him, Ricky has said that himself, and he has dealt with it admirably until now.”