Grayson keen to leave Cats in a more healthier position
Grayson faces a difficult task in taking the Black Cats back into the Premier League, particularly given the summer spending by sides in the second tier.
Sunderland’s high debt levels mean the club has a limited budget and a need to trim the wage bill as TV income drops, and Grayson’s reputation as a manager who can punch above his team’s weight appealed to the Black Cats.
Grayson himself has been optimistic, pointing out that it will still be the biggest budget he has ever worked with, and he remains confident that he can reach the club’s ambitious but ‘realistic’ expectations.
He said: “I like a job with a realistic challenge, sometimes you go into a club where the aims are miles ahead of their realistic capabilities.
“It isn’t like that here, there’s challenges but it is one that we should be able to embrace. You want to be able to look back in a year, two years or three years and say I took over a club that was struggling at the time and make it successful again.
“That would give me a huge amount of satisfaction, as has been the case with the previous four clubs I’ve worked for.
“Ultimately, if there’s no expectation then there’s something wrong with the club that you’re at.
“Every club should have expectations, other people at other clubs may think it is unrealistic, but you have to aim high.”