KEVIN Ball revealed he has been plotting the club's first victory in nine against an in-form Blackburn Rovers side with the assistance of Sunderland's fanatical following.

Ball yesterday let slip that, despite his overnight rise from club academy coach to first team manager, he still likes nothing better to have a cuppa at his favourite coffee shop - the Snow Goose on the Sunderland Marina - and chew the fat with Black Cats' fans.

The caretaker manager confessed he has received some sterling advice from the Wearside public while he has slurped over his preferred brew and, admitted taking some on board.

"People come in and they say, 'try this' or 'do that', but that's the lovely thing about football, people give you an opinion because they want you to do well," revealed Ball, who is looking to win the club's first Premier League game at the Stadium of Light in 27 attempts today.

"They all want to help you and the club to become a success, which as far as I'm concerned is the main thing.

"We have a really good chat with people. They give you ideas and have their opinions and I will listen to them. I may not agree with them but they might just say something you haven't thought about.

"You've got to be open to everything. People have supported this club for years and years.

"They've experienced the ups and downs and they want long-term success at the club. We all understand that because ultimately that's what every football club wants.

"We had a good chat and took it in. You absorb some things and others went in one ear and out the other, like life in general.

"I enjoyed it, it was great because people have a concern about the football club, they want to come and talk to you and I'd rather that was the case than they saw me in the street and turned their back on me.

"I get on very well with the people that run the place. I've been going there, believe it or not for absolute years.

"People come in and they've always got a smile on their face or a throw-away comment and I always have a little chuckle to myself."

Ball was never one to shirk a tackle when he was a player and with little over two weeks in charge he's also revealed a ruthless streak in management.

Gary Breen was available for last week's visit to Bolton Wanderers yet Ball chose to leave the club's skipper on the sidelines in favour of Danny Collins and Steve Caldwell, who was named captain in his absence.

Ball insisted there was nothing sinister in Breen's exclusion other than the lads who filled in during his absence did well enough to keep their place.

Breen eventually appeared as a second half substitute for Grant Leadbitter at the Reebok Stadium and was roundly booed by visiting supporters, in what was his 100th league appearance for the club.

"I have the utmost respect for Gary Breen," said Ball.

"The booing didn't affect him and he came to see me on Monday asking to play in the reserves on Tuesday because he hasn't been playing.

"For me that's the sign of a good professional and I've been told that in the game he was a top man with everybody, worked very hard and was great with the players about him.

"From a manager's point of view, that's all you can ask."

The 41-year-old stand-in boss took a similar tough stance with goal-shy striker Jonathan Stead but left him out of the 16.

Stead has been linked with a move away from the Stadium of Light after a disastrous season in front of goal, but Ball revealed he knew little about the rumours.

"Nothing happened as far as I'm aware and we've had no contact at all," said Ball of the former Blackburn and Huddersfield striker.

"It was just a tactical decision I made for the last game to leave him out but he'll be available this weekend and if we want to play him, he'll be up for the game.

"All the players at this football club have a big part to play. It might mean that one week they're not involved, the next week they might be playing.

"If we see fit to change things round and bring certain players in for certain games we will do that."

Former Black Cats favourite Micky Gray returns to the Stadium of Light for the first time since he left under a cloud two-and-a half years ago.

Gray became a target of the terrace boo-boys for a series of poor performances before he left for Celtic but Ball has nothing but fond memories of his former team-mate and admits he is looking forward to seeing him again this afternoon.

He said: "I remember thinking (as youngster) he'd got a chance. He's playing at the top of the Premiership now. He's a cracking lad. Will I try and trip Mickey Gray up when he runs down the wing? I might."

* Sunderland's youth game at Sheffield United was postponed yesterday due to a waterlogged pitch.

Striker Andy Gray last night scored for Burnley, a week after leaving Wearside.

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