Jon McLaughlin says Sunderland should get behind Phil Parkinson's methods because his track record proves it works.
Parkinson has twice secured promotion out of League One in his managerial career, most recently with Bolton, but also being the only manager to ever take Colchester United to the second tier.
McLaughlin knows Parkinson well. He made 109 appearances in just three seasons under the new Black Cats boss when they worked together at Bradford City.
Of what Parkinson will bring, the Scottish shot-stopper said: “It’s important that the gaffer has experience of getting club’s out of this league.
“For people on the outside it provides confidence because he doesn’t need to prove he has what it takes. They are facts and you can’t deny them.
“The system and philosophy they use has been proven. It’s been a winning formula before, and they have worked in large clubs with big expectations.
“I am sure they can do the same as they have done previously and be successful.”
How Parkinson will set Sunderland up has been a big topic of conversation among fans. Bolton, his most recent club, were less than impressed by his tactics and perceived long-ball football, which has caused concern for fans on Wearside.
But at his first press conference on Thursday, the 51-year-old insisted his style is dictated by the resources he has available - and long-ball football would not be to his new crop of players' strengths.
Offering insight into what fans can expect, 32-year-old McLaughlin told the club website: "They like to have their teams very organised and make demands of having a certain work rate.
“They want to make sure that all of the basics are boxed off first and foremost, and then that provides a platform to play from.
“This is nothing new to players because it’s about doing all of the basics correctly every single time.
“If you can do that over 90 minutes, then it will give you a solid platform to go and dominate games."
