Sunderland owner Ellis Short is satisfied with the progress of his investment, insists chairman Niall Quinn.

Ellis visited Wearside and spoke to manager Steve Bruce and his squad this week.

“Ellis lets us run the business and he’s not affected by message boards or by media speculation,” Quinn told The Times. “He trusts us as a group - and I include Steve in that group - that we’ve made the right decisions and that our policies are going the right way. Thankfully, he’s a realist and understands that this game can be tough.

“Aston Villa is a good example to follow. I can remember them having to win a couple of games late on in the season when I arrived back at Sunderland. They had tough times, but they also spent a lot of money because they believed in what Martin O’Neill was doing and how he went about things.

“Steve shares the same passion that the fans have, the owner has, that we all have. The way he carries himself and projects our club is everything we wanted. The pressure in the Premier League is incredible and there have been some tough knock-backs, but we think he’s the right man to get this club where we all want it.”