Colin Cooper Fancies the Lads Under Bruce

Colin Cooper has recently bigged up Sunderland's appointment of Steve and reckons we have a good chance of making a mark next season and pushing up the league. He told The Newcastle Chronicle: 'I bumped into Niall Quinn [Sunderland chairman] and he was really pleased to have got Steve.'

'I imagine he`ll have a bit of money to spend and all the backing Niall can give him. It`s an important year for Sunderland. They managed to do what we and Newcastle failed to do, stay up by the skin of the teeth. Now they`ve got to build on that, to make sure they don`t go through the same experience again.'

'Both Newcastle and ourselves would love to be in Steve`s position now, preparing for a Premier League season. It`s different for us now, but he can look at taking Sunderland on. At Wigan, he oversaw steady improvement - and that`s what Sunderland will be looking for. Sunderland are a big club, and have the fanbase and now the resources to move on, and upwards. It doesn`t happen overnight, but they`ve got the man who can help make that happen.'



'Steve`s a smashing fellow and a good manager. He knows the business, and he knows the Premier League.'

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