Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn says management is determined to build gradually at the Stadium of Light.
Quinn said: "Are we going to get full houses every week? Do we need to kick on? That has to be the aim and it's a reasonable aim. It's not a stupid aim. There's no point talking about finishing in the top-four at the moment. It's nonsense.
"It's just so, so hard to talk like that. You've got to gradually, gradually have achievable aims and our next achievable aim is to become a comfortable Premier League club."