Sunderland managed to get a 1-4 away win over Hull on Saturday and chairman Niall Quinn is convinced Sbragia is the man to replace Roy Keane.
A source close to Quinn told News of the World: “Ricky has done a fantastic job in such a short space of time.
“Basically if he wants the job, it’s his. Niall saw what the atmosphere was like after Keane walked out and has been amazed at how quickly Ricky has turned that around.
“The players have got their confidence back, they have got smiles on their faces again and it’s a completely different club to the one Roy left.
“Ricky has got a great cv, he’s worked with some of the best around like Sir Alex Ferguson and Sam Allardyce, so the pedigree is there.
“He has done his time and done his apprenticeship — and Niall believes that the time could be right for him to step up.”
