CHRIS COLEMAN has outlined a determination to get “one of the biggest clubs” in the country buzzing again, even if he can’t just sprinkle some magic do deliver a quick-fix to all of the problems he will encounter at Sunderland.

The former Wales manager will take charge of his first game in charge of the Black Cats at Aston Villa tonight, just two days and a couple of training sessions after he was officially confirmed as the club’s latest boss.

Coleman delivered a polished first press conference in front of the media, displaying all of his charisma and the sort of passion that made him a success and respected international head coach – and admitted the lure of Wearside was an opportunity to good to turn down.

But knowing all about the financial problems at the Stadium of Light, where owner Ellis Short is reluctant to invest any more money in the squad, the 47-year-old avoided wild short-term predictions and the immediate aim is to lift the team off the foot of the Championship and to safety.

“I have not come up here with a bag of magic,” said Coleman, pretending to throw some dust around the media suite at the Academy of Light to the amusement of chief executive Martin Bain.

Coleman added: “I look at it and think I have got to stimulate the situation and get people excited. We will do that by getting away from our current position. Once we do that and I am confident we will do that, then I think maybe we can go to Martin and say ‘look, we have a chance now to take it to another level, but we need a little bit of investment.’

“At the moment, we are not there yet. I do look at what we have got, the squad we have got. Is it enough to get us away from where we are and when they are all fit and ready? Yes, I think, yes. Whether or not that is going to be enough to take us to another level ... I have only been here 24 hours so I need to look at that a bit closer.

“But if we are in that position where I think we need a bit of investment here and there and it could make a big difference, then of course, I will have a chat with Martin.”

The man he replaces, Simon Grayson, only spent £1.5m in the summer on ten new players, and the changes failed to have the desired effect because Sunderland have won just one of their 17 league matches.

Coleman said: “I am not going to pull punches. One area we need to look at is recruitment. We need to improve on that and it is something Martin and I have spoken about and something we really need to concentrate on. It is not about having £10m and throwing it at one player.

“We have to gauge if he is a Sunderland type player, what he is like. We will do our due diligence on every player. We do not want to sign someone on 24-hours’ notice and getting burnt. So it is something we have to look at as a club and we need to improve it.”

Coleman, who has signed a two-and-a-half year contract, will have Kit Symons as his assistant manager but there could be further changes to his backroom team. Two who could emerge as contenders are former Sunderland players, Andy Melville and Kevin Ball.

Both Melville and Ball gave the club glowing references since Coleman was contacted about taking on the job. Coleman said: “Andy is doing a good job for Northampton in the scouting department. I couldn’t say he’s coming to work here, that would be unprofessional. He sent me a nice message – ‘get it right and you’ll be a hero, get it wrong … move’. Very simple.

“I have known both for a long time. Kevin Ball is a Sunderland hero, he loves the club. I had a cup of coffee with him on Sunday night. But I’ve always known about Sunderland. So it’s a bit daunting because I do know about the club and the size of it.”

Coleman has been accused of ‘losing his senses’ for accepting the Sunderland challenge when they sit four points adrift of safety, particularly on a day when he is likely to have been linked with the West Brom job following Tony Pulis’ sacking. Coleman disagrees with the notion.

He said: “There are lots of good managers out of work you know. We are stocks and shares, and sometimes you go through good periods and sometimes bad. You get the sack through a bad period, and sometimes if you get two jobs wrong on the bounce, it’s very tough to get back in.

“There are a lot of good managers out of work, and you can end up going through your managerial career without ever managing a big club. I always wondered whether I’d get an opportunity to do that, and I’ve got it now.

“There are probably half a dozen managers who can pick a club and say, ‘I want to manage there’ or ‘I want to manage there’. I’m not a manager who can do that. I don’t have that arrogance to say, ‘You know what, I’m going to wait because I’m going to get this job or that job’. When a club of this stature comes along and says, ‘Would you fancy it?’ My thought is, ‘Yeah, absolutely’. 100 per cent.

“It’s a huge football club, and that’s the magnet for me. The size of the club. I’ve played against Sunderland so many times, so I know what the atmosphere is like. I’ve been here when they’ve been playing well and riding high. It’s electric here.

“It’s much harder to go to another club with a fanbase of 25,000. That’s the fanbase, and it doesn’t matter how well you’re doing, that’s all you’re going to get. Here, somebody has to get it right sooner or later. Or get it going in the right direction. When that happens, this is the type of place you want to be, and you want to be part of something of this magnitude.”