Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn hopes the signings they make in January will take Roy Keane's team to a new level.

Writing in his programme notes ahead of Saturday's win over Bolton, Quinn said: "As last year ended, we lost 1-0 at home to Preston and at that stage hadn't broken into the top 10 of the Championship.

"We have made giant leaps since then. Progress is always best judged over a period of time, and while in any given spell there will be setbacks, overall we remain headed in the right direction.

"The transfer window is about to open and we will be doing all we can to help Roy strengthen his squad so that we can finish the season strongly again.

"The players we already have are giving it everything. Their spirit is there for all to see and they are becoming more street-wise as the acclimatise to the Barclays Premier League.

"With new additions hopefully joining them in January, we will look to kick on again."