On Sunday, Jack Ross could win Sunderland’s first silverware since the 2007 Championship, and promotion could be weeks away, but arguably the Scot’s biggest and most important achievement might be reconnecting the club with its supporters.
Back-to-back relegations unsurprisingly left fans jaded and apathetic, with poor football too often half-heartedly played under a chairman who showed little interest. But new owner Stewart Donald, Ross and a revamped squad have reinvigorated the club.
Now they stand on the brink of promotion from League One, and play at Wembley in Sunday’s Football League Trophy final against Portsmouth. It is a world away from June, when Ross was peering out of the window to see which of his employees would report for work.
“I don’t think I’ll have another summer like it,” he says. “I needed a quick handle on (his players’) appetite for what lay ahead for us.
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“There were obviously ones I found out very quickly didn’t have that appetite.
“On the first day of pre-season when the players were coming back, my staff and I were in the coaches office overlooking the car park simply looking at who was coming through the door because we didn’t know. I think we had 11 players back for the first day.
“It’s not just that other people forget about that, I suppose I forget that sometimes because time marches on in football and you forget where you were nine or ten months ago.”
It meant there was more to Ross’ job than just winning.
“The club had probably had to try and re-find its identity and I think we’ve done that on the pitch to an extent in terms of having a squad supporters can relate to,” he argues.
“I think we take pride in helping to re-establish that relationship.
“Irrespective of the size of the fanbase and the size of the club, if you don’t have that it’s very difficult to build success and create enjoyment, because we’re meant to enjoy it as well.
“Winning games helps to establish that relationship, equally how you conduct yourselves as a club, the culture you try to create, how your players are and how they conduct themselves and that feeds into the fanbase.
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“The truth is in football results will always be the be-all and end-all but a lot of the successful clubs around the world at various levels have that and I’m pleased we’ve managed to rebuild that.
“People who have been around the club for a number of years have commented on that and that’s encouraging.
“Irrespective of how this pans out for me and how long I’m here, it’s a brilliant opportunity to manage an outstanding football club and if I sit down one day after I’ve got the sack I will say the same thing.”
