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" The team that plays [tomorrow] will probably be 80 per cent of the team at Coventry. If we are lucky enough to land one of our main targets after Carlisle, then we would have to think about putting them in. Carlisle is an important game for us. We got a couple of injuries at Shelbourne and tackles and yellow cards were flying, but what I liked about it was that it was hard fought - a difficult game.
" The guys acted as one. They supported each other and I felt that was really encouraging. Carlisle will want to win tomorrow and want to prove a point against a club higher up the leagues. They will get stuck in, we know that. It will be perfect if we go about the game as we did at Shelbourne. There will be a good atmosphere at the game. We will have a good few fans travelling and it would be a disservice if we do not treat it like a proper match.
" I told Bobby (Saxton) when he came in that this was going to be hard. There were a lot of players who needed to be lifted. But I think the response from them [the players] has been fantastic. There is a feeling that the rot has stopped and we have a chance to look forward. Chris Brown is fine and fit again. He trained for the first time properly on Wednesday and I'm delighted to see him back. He could get 20 minutes or so.
" The response of the fans has been fantastic. They are already coming out in their droves again and that's great to see. There's a positive feeling up here again. We all know what happened last season, but we're in this together now and we're going to give it a go. "
Quinn's Drumaville consortium completed its takeover of the club yesterday after they agreed a deal for ex-chairman Bob Murray's shares earlier this month. It hasn't all been plain sailing for the Irishman though as he had to name himself as manager on Tuesday, after being frustrated in his attempts to find someone to fill the role, with moves for former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill and Bolton manager Sam Allardyce both coming to nothing.
Free signing Kenny Cunningham, from Birmingham, has been the only new face at the club so far this summer, while Gary Breen, Kelvin Davis and Julio Arca have left. Arca leaving Wearside on Wednesday to make the short move down to Middlesbrough for a fee of £1.75 million, the 25-year-old Argentinian midfielder signing up for the Teesiders on a bumper five-year deal. Quinn also missed out on one potential target yesterday as Arsenal's 18-year old midfielder Fabrice Muamba joined Birmingham on a season-long loan.
Former Newcastle defender Robbie Elliott is training with the club though, who were relegated from the Premiership last season, and will no doubt be given a run-out as he continues his trial spell with Quinn's side. However, full-back George McCartney sustained medial knee ligament damage in Monday night's 2-0 friendly win at Eircom League outfit Shelbourne and could now be sidelined for more than three months after seeing a specialist yesterday. One-time United star Rory Delap also picked up a knee injury in that feisty encounter and could be forced to sit out the match against the club where he started his career. One more Black Cat missing from the game will be winger Andy Welsh who was another to fall foul of some fierce Irish tackling at Tolka Park, the 22-year old being out for at least a month with ankle ligament damage.
The last time the two sides met was in the 1994-95 season in the FA Cup, Sunderland winning a third round replay 3-1 at Brunton Park, United's goal that night coming in the second half from Dean Walling in front of 12,201 spectators. The first game at Roker Park having seen the Blues grab a 1-1 draw with a second half goal from Simon Davey. Coincidentally, that was the second time in two years that the clubs had locked horns in the third round of the FA Cup, the season before Carlisle losing the replay 1-0 at home in extra-time in front of 12,771 fans, after a late Darren Edmondson goal had again earned United a 1-1 draw at Roker Park in the first game.