Chris Coleman has warned Sunderland’s “shrinking violets” to find a new club in January.

“Challenge” was the buzzword in his first interview since agreeing to become the new Black Cats’ manager, and having shown his appetite for a difficult job by taking on a team bottom of the Championship when his stock was so high, he expects his squad to do likewise.

“I’m going to need all the supporters and all the staff and players, everybody to come with me on this,” he told his new club’s official website.

“We’ll all work with each other and if you’re committed you’re in, if you’re not committed you’re out. You can’t pretend. I’ll find out who’s going to be coming along on this next chapter pretty quickly I think.

“Whoever’s not needed, go and play football somewhere else. If this challenge is too big for them, they need to move on because what we don’t need is any shrinking violets, I’m not going to get anywhere with them.

“It doesn’t matter how talented you are, it’s never enough – you need a bit more than that.

“If you look at the league and where we are of course it’s a daunting task but one I think we’re capable of meeting head-on and being successful.”

Coleman may find moving the reluctant on easier said than done. Jack Rodwell is still on Premier League wages having agreed a contract without an automatic pay-cut on relegation and although the rest of last season’s squad did not, they are still largely on generous wages other clubs are reluctant to pick up. Lamine Kone and Didier Ndong were two who asked to leave in the summer but found no takers, and Fabio Borini, Jeremain Lens, Wahbi Khazri and Papy Djilobodji could only go on loan.

Regardless of that, Coleman has made it clear he will not tolerate players who do not conform to the work ethic that brought him success with Wales, who reached the semi-finals of the last European Championships.

Chris Coleman
Chris Coleman

“What we need to do is concentrate on performances and accountability,” said Coleman, who took his first training session on Sunday ahead of Tuesday’s game at Aston Villa. “That’s what it is, basically. It’s very, very simple.

“It’s nice that I know one or two faces and they know me but it’s not whether players like you or not, the important thing is they respond to you. Irrespective of what your gameplan and your thinking is, they want to work in a culture that you’ve created.

“There’s a lot of things to think about, a lot to ponder, but there’s also a lot of things to look forward to. I’m not sitting here thinking, ‘Dear me!’ On the contrary, I’m excited.

“I think because of the size of the task and the size of the football club it’s a little bit daunting but that keeps you on your toes.

“Nothing good ever came from a comfort zone and we’re certainly not in a comfort zone in Sunderland, I know that.”

David Moyes admitted last season’s relegated squad lacked team spirit, and confidence is still visibly low. Both goals conceded in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Millwall were down to errors by goalkeeper Robbin Ruiter.

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“You earn togetherness and team spirit from sticking together through tough times, bad times,” said Coleman. “You don’t get proper team spirit by all going out together and having a few drinks and a laugh.

“In tough times you find out who steps forward and sticks their head above the parapet and who shrinks away from it and dies off.

“(Wales) weren’t always in semi-finals and doing well, we were getting our backsides slapped once or twice, me in particular falling flat on my face. That’s how you find out who you are, and who the people around you are.”