Mackems Counting The Coppers
By Nu Mad
Updated Friday, 6th July 2007
The Mackems are back in the big time, but if Roy Keane expected to go head-to-head with the big spenders in the Premiership ... the reality has kicked in.
Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has insisted he will not put his club at risk by paying inflated transfer fees. Quinn took over the club in a terrible financial state with debts of around £40million.
The club has sold around 30,000 season tickets for the new campaign.
Quinn: "We are doing it in a quieter way, but we would like to think come the first day of the season, we will have produced and got our main targets in at least.
"There is a point where you have to say, 'what is the correct thing to do here?'.
"We are able to compete, but there is competing and there's putting the club at risk.
"The transfer market has gone very expensive. I am glad 12 months ago, when I was pulling the Drumaville guys together, that I did not foresee what was needed. I think they would have run a mile if we had not had the success we have in the past year.
"In fairness, we had a meeting recently and they understand. They have shown great strength behind the scenes. They have told me to carry on and do what I think is right - and the money will be there.
"To me, it seems amazing. Darren Bent was £9million in January and £17million five months later. I don't think he did enough in five months to be twice the player.
"That's just the way the market has gone - and it is not the player's problem."
