NIALL QUINN hopes that Sunderland’s deflated players take a long, hard look at themselves and come out fighting for Sunday’s crucial visit of Everton – or face further flak from the Wearside support.

Saturday’s crushing 3-0 defeat at West Brom has revived fears that Sunderland will drop into the relegation zone before the end of the season.

After such a depressing performance from Ricky Sbragia’s team at the Hawthorns, chairman Quinn hopes there will be many questions asked on the training ground before the weekend.

But the Irishman is convinced that Sbragia, to who he has once again offered his full support, will be able to raise spirits quickly and make sure the gap to the relegation zone is not reduced after next weekend’s fixtures.

“Our guys have a bit of soul searching to do in the early part of the week and then get themselves in great nick for the weekend,” said Quinn, speaking in Ireland at the launch of a Community Trust scheme.

“I’d say if it was the first day of the season or the last day of the season, all the Sunderland fans want to see is the maximum effort and passion and getting stuck in.

“If they do that at the weekend, as they did against Hull and Manchester United, they’ll get a standing ovation.

If they don’t they’ll get criticism.

That’s the way.”

With four matches remaining the last thing Sunderland needed was a morale-sapping defeat to the Premier League’s basement boys, when confidence was high of securing the victory that would lift them to 38 points and within touching distance of safety.

“I don’t know what we might need,” said Quinn.

“What I’d like to be is seven points clear with two games to go. Alex Ferguson calls it squeaky bum time – I’m not sure how he knows because he’s never been down there, but he’s about right.”

Suggestions that Sbragia will not be in charge next season won’t go away, with some predicting the manager has had enough while others claim the Scot will be asked to step down.

Quinn, however, said: “Ricky is doing a fine job. To get them playing as well as they did against Manchester United the other week was excellent.

I genuinely believe with what we have got, if the workrate is good, they put in the effort and commitment, and the fans are behind us, Ricky and the players will be fine.”

If Sunderland stay up, it has emerged that former manager Roy Keane – who quit last December – is ready to go to the courts in an attempt to receive a financial bonus he feels entitled to for keeping them in the Premier League.

Keane’s first match in charge of Ipswich Town ended with a 3-0 win at Cardiff City on Saturday, although Quinn was reluctant to talk about the lift the former Manchester United captain’s arrival has had at Portman Road.

He said: “I wish him well. I also haven’t publicly congratulated Mick McCarthy, another ex-manager (of Sunderland) who’s done great by taking Wolves up. I’ve an awful lot on my mind besides those two guys, so that’s the way things are.

“I don’t want to be talking about other clubs. I don’t think it’s right. I wish him well, that’s what I want to do.

I can assure you I have 101 things to do with our football club, so it’s going to be a tough few weeks.

“The reality is that we’ve had to move on (from Keane) and we have done. Maybe not as successfully as we would have liked to as yet, but we’ve got to get over that line.

“I’m sure Mick and Roy are looking forward to a great year, but we’ve got to sort some business out.

“Maybe in the summer then we can all have a look at it.”

■ Tickets for Sunderland’s game at Bolton on May 9 are due to go on general sale on Thursday, priced £31 and £23 adults, £21 and £17 for over-65s and under-21s, and £11 under-16s.

Tickets for Sunderland’s penultimate game of the season at Portsmouth go on general sale next week.