Maguire is sure Ross will revive Black Cats

JACK ROSS may not have reached his ultimate destination of guiding Sunderland to promotion to the English Championship. But striker Chris Maguire is in no doubt that his manager has succeeded in turning around an ailing tanker that was running aground. After inheriting a basket case of a club following its relegation to the third tier last summer — with star players Didier Ndong and Papy Djilobodji refusing to play — former Alloa and St Mirren manager Ross steered the Black Cats to two appearances at Wembley. A penalty shoot-out defeat to Portsmouth in the Checkatrade Trophy final in March was tough to take. But Sunday’s 2-1 play-off final loss to Charlton Athletic — courtesy of a devastating 94th-minute goal from Patrick Bauer — eclipsed that previous agony in London. There is currently uncertainty about who will own Sunderland next season, with American businessman Mark Campbell interested in investing in the club. But Maguire is adamant that the progress achieved under Ross across a gruelling 61game season proves he is the man to finish the job next season in what was once the largest shipbuilding town in the world. ‘The manager has been brilliant,’ said the former Aberdeen striker, whose semi-final goal against Portsmouth took Sunderland to the play-off final. ‘He had a really tough job taking over here in the summer. ‘I’m sure, given another chance, Jack is the right man for the job because he and his staff have been brilliant. ‘The last couple of seasons have been tough for the club and we all wanted to fix it on Sunday and give our fans a party. ‘So to lose in that fashion, to such a late goal, was gutting. ‘As a player, you don’t get the chance to come to Wembley often. But we’ve had two defeats here in the one season and, at the end of the day, it counts for nothing. They’re good occasions but nobody remembers the losers. ‘A club this size shouldn’t be in this division.’ Maguire still harbours aspirations of returning to the Scotland set-up after an eight-year absence. ‘Maybe a few years ago, I felt I deserved a chance and I was overlooked,’ he said. ‘But I’d never turn my back on it. I’d love to get back in the mix with Scotland.’