"It does feel different this time - I love what this manager is doing." Niall Quinn's words may not be a papal blessing per se, but to Sunderland fans they are the next best thing.
Quinn is rightly accorded legend status on Wearside following his six-year stint as a player, before going on to become part-owner, chairman, and - briefly - manager. He knows the club, the area, and its people upside down and inside out.
And his praise for Alex Neil on the eve of this weekend's League One play-off final against Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley is full-throated. "It would have been lovely to get back up to the Championship quickly last time, but a late, late goal hurt everybody and the club has struggled ever since to reidentify itself," Quinn told ChronicleLive, referrring to the club's 2019 play-off final defeat at the hands of Charlton Athletic.
