Neil only took the reins at the Stadium of Light in February, replacing Lee Johnson in the dugout, with his immediate job to salvage Sunderland’s promotion charge as they look to get back into the Championship.
Although the Black Cats failed with their efforts to secure automatic promotion this season, they earned a spot in the League One playoffs and have booked a place in the final against Wycombe Wanderers, having knocked out Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals.
Black Cats legend Quinn is of the view that Neil has succeeded in making his players believe in themselves as a team and through his managerial input has made them all play for each other and the club.
Quinn added that Neil, in a short span of time, has elevated Sunderland to a different level, which has given their fans hope that this is the year they will finally end their stint in the third tier.
“They are playing for each other, they are playing with a passion, and a spirit that has come from nowhere in many respects, but of course it has also come from really good managerial input”, Quinn told Chronicle Live.
“Because of that, Sunderland fans can dare to hope again and they can go into this game – even with the terrible record that the club has in these type of matches at Wembley – there is something different about what this man has done in the last two or three months that makes you think they are playing at a different level.
“The late goals that they have scored are no fluke, it’s no coincidence that they come time and time again.
“There’s an inner belief within the team, the players are stepping up to the plate and, quietly, the manager has in two or three months probably put the players and the team into a better position than we have seen for a long, long, time.”
Sunderland will lock horns with the Chairboys at Wembley on Saturday with more than 46,000 Black Cats faithful expected to voraciously back their team.
