Keane's Sunderland success story
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It is just six months since Roy Keane took charge at Sunderland but the feel-good factor is already back at the Stadium of Light. When the former Manchester United midfielder was appointed on 28 August, the Wearsiders had lost their first four league games of the season and were bottom of the Championship. The club as a whole was still suffering from a monstrous hangover following their disastrous relegation from the top flight - with the Premiership's lowest points tally - the previous campaign.
New chairman Niall Quinn had spent the summer rebuilding behind the scenes but on the pitch things seemed to be just as desperate as before. Recently retired as a player - and totally unproven as a manager - Keane seemed a surprising choice as a saviour given his rocky relationship with his former Republic of Ireland team-mate. That choice now looks inspired.
After a steady improvement before Christmas, a run of eight wins from their last 10 games, including Saturday's 2-1 win at high-flying West Brom, means Sunderland are only four points off the top of the table. Keane has taken last season's losers - 29 of their 38 Premiership games ended in defeat - and transformed them into a durable outfit, with no shortage of flair.
He has lost only seven Championship games as boss, is unbeaten in the league in 2007 and his activity in the transfer window also bears up to scrutiny. Since taking charge Keane has underlined how important he thinks a "good dressing room" is, something he no doubt learned under Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
Sunderland have now played the division's top three sides - Derby, Birmingham and the Baggies - in successive games and the win at The Hawthorns means they have come away with a seven-point haul.
But, typically, Keane is not getting carried away with his side's good form. "I believe we should have had nine from three difficult games but we have got seven and I am happy with that," Keane said. "Birmingham and Derby are in pole position but we will keep plugging away and see what happens. There are lots of teams in the promotion race and we are all close - but close is not a word I like."
The Sunderland fans who have witnessed Roy's revolution first-hand know what they think - and sang 'we are going up' at The Hawthorns on Saturday to prove it.
With Keane in charge you can understand their optimism. -
The most successful player-manager from SAF's era maybe?
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yeah..maybe..It is too early to tell..he might do well in the championship
but might not do well in the premiership..
but neverthelass, Kudos to him...good start and hope he will be a great mgr in the future -
Well done Keano!
Have always like him and his leadership style. Will be looking forward when he goes head-to-head with Fergie in a match in the next season! -
his attitude on and off the field makes him a very good manager.
i hope to see him in the premiership next season.
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it awaits to be seen how much fuel he has in his tanks. Bryan Robson & Steve Bruce have all started earlier and have really yet to establish themselves...
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sunderland are now only 3 points behind 2nd place derby. i hope kean can lead them to automatic promotion.
go, keane go!!! -
Keane's presence + a couple of United's youngsters on loan = success at Sundrand.
Anyway, i think Keane's presence on Sunderland is affecting the whole team. If i'm right, Sunderland is languishing at the bottom half of the table and unable to churn on the right results.
I think credit should go to Keane. He has done a good job over at Sunderland and if the Black Cats really get promoted den Fergie would probably needs to watch his arse.
Cheers.
CK -
would next season be the fight between man utd and sunderland for the epl title?
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too bad, he can't loan arsenal youngsters..
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what if he loans youngsters from the big 4.Originally posted by stellazio:too bad, he can't loan arsenal youngsters.. -
SLUMBERLAND TO WONDERLAND
ROY KEANE EXCLUSIVE HIS SUNDERLAND ARE WINNERS AGAIN 'I'VE TRIED TO CHANGE THE MENTALITY HERE' 'FANS LIKE MEN WHO TAKE PRIDE IN SHIRT'
ROY KEANE glanced at a television in Sunderland's training ground yesterday and laughed at the sight and sound of him singing in a Manchester United FA Cup song. Move, Move Move, re-run on a sports news channel, showed United's 1996 squad bonding, having a laugh, and growing into a cup-winning team together.
Eleven years on, same determined grin, new club, new career, Keane the manager, is indeed a man on the move - reawakening a North-East giant and guiding them towards the Premiership. No song and dance yet on Wearside, but as Keane admits the momentum is with Sunderland in the gripping Championship promotion race. He's changing the mentality of a football club, from "soft touches" to winners.
Eleven games unbeaten, including nine wins, means Sunderland are "ready to pounce" and overtake the top two Birmingham and Derby, should they slip up. Sunderland players turned up to prepare for tonight's game with Stoke so early yesterday "they had to bring the milk in" according to Keane - a reference to the incident which saw three stars left behind for the win at Barnsley because they were late for the team bus.
Keane's decision to leave behind Anthony Stokes, Tobias Hysen and Marton Fulop made a ruthless point to his squad. Only the highest standards on and off the field will be tolerated. It has been a theme of his six months in charge. "That made us feel nervous on Saturday. We knew we had to get everything right. It was a signal for everyone to raise our game," revealed keeper Darren Ward.
It was not the first battle that Keane has won. Bad eggs in the squad have been weeded out and sold, professional standards raised, and team spirit built on and off the pitch. From the moment he took charge, from the smallest detail to the big picture, Keane has been making changes. He's had pictures of Sunderland legends and moments of glory put up around the place to stop it "looking like just any club".
He's also had a scout watching an under-nines game and made sure players wear the regulation jacket badge and tie when on club duty. Players are installed in hotels before home games. Keane has a new staff with specialists in all aspects of training, instead of the previous regime of the physios taking charge of everything.
The ice baths that used to be wheelie-bins have been replaced with proper kit. Lights were brought to help the Stadium of Light pitch grow on the very day Keane requested it of chairman Niall Quinn. As well as the discipline, there has been fun, with adventure days out, paintballing, go-karting, assault courses and white-water rafting.
Keane said yesterday: "I'm trying to change the mentality of a lot of things here. Like stopping it being a yo-yo club. Maybe players felt you could be late for training, or they didn't have to train hard all the time. "Maybe some thought they could get two or three weeks out of an injury that should only take a week to mend. Like taking days off left, right and centre.
"I had these vibes when I got the job, that things needed to change. We needed to remember what this club is about. Am I enjoying it? Maybe ask me at the end of the season. But it's a challenge, it's what we're in the game for. "You want to be at the top, that's where the challenge comes. There's a spirit there. My priority was to get a good staff around me and build a team spirit, and the lads here have definitely got something.
"You can't put your finger on it, but there's a togetherness, a desire amongst them. You want to be involved in a team that gives 100 per cent if you have that togetherness, you've got a chance. "And that is what supporters want from their club. People with a pride to pull on the shirt."
Sunderland's run has given them a shot at promotion but nothing is guaranteed. Behind the scenes the sums are being done. It could be that 22 points from the last 27 will clinch automatic promotion. Keane said: "It's better than when I got the job when we were near the bottom and people were saying we had to win every game then. We've been in a must-win situation since August, so it's no different.
"Look at Derby's and Birmingham's run-ins, they're in pole position so we've just got to keep going. "Players enjoy it if it's a tight race. We live in the real world, especially in the Championship, where it's tight and it's tough.
"It's good for the neutral maybe, not so much managers and supporters. The next nine games are going to be tough and the hard work is still to come. That's what we're in the game for." The prize is a £35million pot of television cash but Keane said: "What drives me? Certainly not the money. Success drives me more than the financial reward, of course. But we can't look too far ahead.
"I don't look at the league table very much. It's hard sometimes, especially on a Sunday when you've got five kids you don't get time. The kids are looking at the table, not me. "You get sucked into it whichever way you turn. You can stare at it all day but it's not going to change unless you win games.
"Some of the staff have looked at it when they've had spare time and they've been on the internet checking up past leagues and what we might need." Don't bet against Keane pulling off the miracle. Like the song said: On the Move, Move Move.
They have become a hard lot of b*****ds under Keane
'It is his destiny. He is throwing the kitchen sink at this job. Total commitment. He has gone about it in a methodical manner.'
- NIALL QUINN, SUNDERL AND CHAIRMAN
'They have become a hard lot of b*****ds under Roy Keane. He doesn't take life easy. He is a winner and he's restored the greatest buzz around the place in 40 years.' -
- CHARLIE HURLEY, SUNDERL AND LEGEND
'The big change now is that everyone is on their toes. People respect him. It is like being in the presence of your mum or granddad... you wait for him to speak, and when he does you listen.'
- NYRON NOSWORTHY, PLAYER
'After the last few years he has restored the buzz in the place. The home games are electric. Since Niall and Roy Keane came in it has be en jumping again. Before they came something was missing.'
- JIM MONTGOMERY, SUNDERL AND HERO -
job well done