A WAVE and a smile to his family and friends, Kevin Ball stood proud as punch in the technical area ahead of his first game in charge.

He had talked extensively of not knowing quite what he would do when he took his place in the dug-out and there was a real sense he still didn't know what to do when the time arrived.

Even when he was not acknowledging the hordes, he struggled to hide the personal satisfaction he felt from managing the club where he spent ten years as a player, many of those as captain.

Not suited, just booted with club clothes that ensured he epitomised the stereotypical tracksuit manager - even the passion.

But Ball, a temperamental midfielder in his younger days and an equally mercurial figure as a coach, quickly came to realise that waving your arms around and being nice to people at Sunderland doesn't automatically bring results in the Premiership.

Mick McCarthy, for one, was of the same breed. The only thing lacking from his CV which Ball has is that he was never a living and loved Black Cats hero.

And no matter how hard McCarthy tried, and he would quite often refer to the enormously long hours he would put in to try to steer the ship out of rocky waters, the squad he built does not possess the necessary ingredients for top-flight football.

Two league wins all season, both away from home, highlights that. And, unfortunately for the man afforded caretaker responsibility since McCarthy's demise, too many things were of the same making against Wigan.

Certain things were done differently. There was no huddle before the match nor was there an early return to the field before the second half started.

But, on the whole, it could have been McCarthy and his assistant Ian Evans who had put the plans in place for this game. In fact McCarthy may perhaps have made more changes than his temporary successor.

The 2-1 defeat at Manchester City, a result that provided the final nail in McCarthy's managerial coffin, would probably have been met head on with a couple of changes in personnel to the starting line-up had the former Republic of Ireland boss been in charge.

Instead, barring the enforced replacement of Gary Breen, the other ten on the pitch against Wigan all started the City game. Hardly the way to put your own stamp on things.

Even the changes made during the game were the same. Liam Lawrence, Anthony Le Tallec and Jon Stead were all drafted on as substitutes - a lack of ideas? More a sign of the lack of quality Ball has at his disposal.

And while the supporters all point the finger of blame at the board for years and years of under-spending on the right men to take the club forward, perhaps McCarthy's summer purchases is the root cause of the problem this season.

Chairman Bob Murray and his board members will largely accept things were done wrong in previous years - the near £40m debts are evidence of that - but Wigan have shown this season just what can be done when you have £10m to spend on transfers, including wages.

The 40-point swing that has occurred between Wigan and Sunderland this season - with Wigan now 33 points ahead of the side that finished seven points ahead of them in the Championship - is an incredible statistic when you consider the spending patterns of both clubs were very similar.

It is hard to imagine that, when promotion for both was secured in May, that players would have preferred to have played their home games at the JJB Stadium rather than the Stadium of Light.

As for the players that did cost the money. Henri Camara, the £3m signing from Wolves, has adapted to life in the Premier League with nine goals while £1.8m Jon Stead has struggled to come up with one.

The goal Camara conjured up from nothing in the eighth minute on Saturday, when he volleyed the match-winner into Kelvin Davis' far corner, was one of real international class.

While for Stead, a late substitute, the wait goes on and on. He even wasted a chance at the back post in the dying stages from two yards out as he slid in to try and make the most of a half chance.

For Ball the dream job has started, whether or not he can persuade the board he is the right man full-time is unclear.

At Newcastle Glenn Roeder's installation to take over from Graeme Souness worked wonders. At Sunderland the task is much, much harder.

Despite Souness' protestations during his reign, Roeder has had an embarrassment of riches available to him even with injuries. Ball doesn't have that luxury