Roy Keane[Coach]

[Freddy Adu]

Roy Keane
Personal information
Full name	Roy Maurice Keane
Date of birth	August 10, 1971 (1971-08-10) (age 36)
Place of birth	Mayfield, Cork, Ireland
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Sunderland (Manager)
Youth clubs
1979-1989	Rockmount A.F.C.
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1989–1990 1990–1993 1993–2005 2005–2006	Cobh Ramblers Nottingham Forest Manchester United Celtic	012 0(1) 114 (22) 326 (33) 010 0(1)
National team
1991–2005	Republic of Ireland	066 0(9)
Teams managed
2006–	Sunderland

[Freddy Adu]

Keane tells Sunderland to learn lessons of derby draw


Written by: AFP

	Sunderland manager Roy Keane, seen here in August 2007, says he is looking forward to experiencing his first North East derby against Newcastle.. Passions are guaranteed to run high when Sunderland and Newcastle lock horns and Keane and his Newcastle counterpart Sam Allardyce will experience one of the Premier League´s most bitter rivalries.

SUNDERLAND (AFP) - Roy Keane admitted Sunderland had been taught a harsh lesson about life in the Premier League after they blew the chance to beat local rivals Newcastle.

Keane's side were on course for their first home victory in the Tyne-Wear derby for 27 years when Danny Higginbotham headed them into a 52nd minute lead.

But the hosts allowed Newcastle to level 13 minutes later when James Milner's cross crept in at the far post.

Sunderland should still have taken the points but Kenwyne Jones missed a glorious chance and Michael Chopra hit the bar.

It was harsh on the Black Cats but Keane insisted his players must realise Premier League opponents will hit back if they don't kill them off.

"The beauty of the Premiership is if you don't take your chances it will come back to haunt you and that's what happened," Keane said.

"We can talk all day about luck but the players had the chances. We keep getting these lessons in the Premiership.

"That will only change with experience. We've got a lot of players who haven't played in the Premiership before. These are lessons you have to learn and you have to learn them quickly."

Sunderland are slipping down the table after a run of seven matches without a win, but Keane is convinced his team will turn it around.

"I think Sam (Allardyce) will be slightly happier than me today," he said. "I thought the overall performance was oustanding.

"A few things are going against us but I've got great belief in the players. If we keep playing like that we will have a decent season."

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce was relieved to avoid defeat after a disappointing recent run.

He conceded his side had started badly but was encouraged by the way they battled back.

"We deserved it because of our response after we went a goal down. It was what I was looking for from the start," he said.

"It's a little bit more acceptable if you come back from a goal down away from home in a derby game and get a draw.

"It's a big local derby and we haven't lost. That's very important for the fans.

"Up until the goal Sunderland had out-muscled us and we couldn't get our passing game going.

"Their goal was disappointing. We can't afford to keep giving silly mistakes away."

[Freddy Adu]

Sunderland boss Keane dismisses Etuhu, Barton row

Sunderland boss Roy Keane dismissed Dickson Etuhu's bust-up with Newcastle's Joey Barton at halftime of their 1-1 draw.

He said: "I am not going to get bogged down by a tackle that was slightly high. That happens in these games, a lot of them are mistimed.

"You give and you take. Dickson is a tough lad. He is alive in that dressing room, he won't be leaving on a stretcher."

[Freddy Adu]

Keane admits Sunderland wasteful in derby draw

Sunderland boss Roy Keane rued a catalogue of missed chances after their 1-1 draw with Newcastle United.

The Irishman saw his side take a deserved lead through Danny Higginbotham's first goal for the club after passing up a series of earlier opportunities, and was off his seat as former Magpie Michael Chopra powered a header against the crossbar with eight minutes remaining.

However, by then James Milner had levelled when his 65th-minute cross crept inside Craig Gordon's far post to punish the Wearsiders for their profligacy.

Keane admitted his disappointment at only drawing a game he felt they had done enough to win, but refused to bemoan his luck.

Asked if he was disappointed not to have taken all three points, Keane said: "Yes, if you look at the chances and the way we played, but if we keep missing the chances we did, it is very hard to win any game.

"If you look at the chances and the performance, I think Sam (Allardyce) will probably be slightly happier than me tonight.

"But I am pleased with the performance and the attitude of the players and the spirit with which they played.

"The priority for any derby match is certainly don't lose it, and we did not do that, so we will take the pluses."

[Freddy Adu]

Man Utd's Evans, Taylor in Sunderland sights

Sunderland boss Roy Keane will be handed a £15 million transfer kitty for the winter market.

Portsmouth midfielder Matt Taylor and Manchester United defender Jonny Evans top Keane's wish-list.

The Black Cats are two points above safety but Keane said: "My gut feeling is we'll be okay. We've done all right, but the next step is the biggest one we have to take.

"I believe that at the end of the season we'll have enough points to look back and say we've had a decent campaign. There's still a hell of a lot of work to do but I believe the fans appreciate the progress we're making."

[Freddy Adu]

Sunderland boss Keane: Quotas not the answer

Sunderland boss Roy Keane says quotas aren't the answer for English football.

He told the Sunday Sun: "I appreciate where Steve Coppell (who supports quotas) is coming from but I also appreciate the Arsene Wengers of this world, who say if you want quality then you have to go out and buy it.

"As a manager you are going you are going to be selfish and my priority is Sunderland. I do what I consider best for this club and I've bought a lot of lads from different countries, a lot from Ireland.

"If you're good enough, it doesn't matter where you are from, you get into the squad.

"It's not a case of me sitting on the fence - I very rarely do that - but I can appreciate both different views. It is a hard one to call.

"I think there will be a lot more talk about it next week if England fail to qualify for Euro 2008, that is what has started this off.

"If England qualify the debate will die down; if they don't, people will say it's because there aren't enough English players in the Premiership."

Keane does not believe that England's Euro 2008 qualification problems can be blamed on a lack of quality players, however.

He said: "People think it's because England don't have good enough players but that's nonsense - they have some outstanding players."

[Freddy Adu]

Keane: Sunderland academy beginning to deliver

Sunderland boss Roy Keane is hoping for more of his academy graduates to begin attracting England recognition.

Sunderland have dragged their feet over the years with their academy falling behind rivals Newcastle and Middlesbrough, but midfielders Grant Leadbitter and Jamie Chandler are away on England duty this week, Leadbitter with the Under-21s and Chandler with the Under-19s.

Keane said: "There were nine English lads involved in our game against Newcastle at the weekend and that was nice to see.

"We've got a couple of lads away with England and that's fantastic, we would love some to be playing with the England senior team.

"We've got 11 or 12 players away on international duty and I love that. It's great for Sunderland."

[Freddy Adu]

Sunderland boss Keane admits likely Kavanagh exit

Sunderland boss Roy Keane admits he may allow Graham Kavanagh to leave in January.

He told the Sunderland Echo: "Kav enjoyed his games at Sheffield Wednesday but there have been several other clubs in touch about him since.

"There has been more interest in Kav and I will probably sit down with him next week to talk it through. I also spoke to him last week about the situation.

"It's a difficult one because as much as I want to keep him I know he wants to play football, and Kav is not the only one in that situation here. As much as I have to look after the club, I have to be fair to the players."

[Freddy Adu]

"That was very hard to take, losing any game like that conceding seven is tough. I cannot dress it up, that was tough for us all."
- Roy Keane

[Freddy Adu]

Sunderland manager Roy Keane:
"You have to learn quickly in the Premier League and Everton took great advantage of our shortcomings.

"Everton have got three or four really outstanding players. It is a major setback to get a real beating like that but I trust the players to learn from it and I have to learn from it myself.

"It's hard to take, but we lose as a team and I picked the team and sorted the tactics so I have no problem taking responsibility for what happened."

[Freddy Adu]

Sunderland boss Roy Keane:
"We will be going out and people will be thinking how much are we going to lose by.

"But if I was some of our lads I would be rubbing my hands. We are going to be tested by top players.

"The bottom line is you can only play 11 against 11 and all you can ask as a manager is 100% from your players."

[Freddy Adu]

No mercy for Keane as United turn the heat on Arsenal


Written by: AFP

	Sunderland manager Roy Keane watches from the sideline as his squad plays Manchester United at the Stadium of Light. Keane´s rookie season as a Premier League manager took another painful turn for the worse as his former club eased to a comfortable 4-0.

SUNDERLAND, England (AFP) - Roy Keane's rookie season as a Premier League manager took another painful turn for the worse as his former club, Manchester United, eased to a comfortable 4-0 victory at the Stadium of Light.

A double for Louis Saha and a goal apiece from Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo left Sunderland mired in the relegation zone while champions United moved above Arsenal at the top of the table, at least for a few hours.

Old Trafford was Keane's beloved home for 12 trophy-laden years but the Sunderland manager could expect no favours from his former mentor Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Scot showed his one time protege a degree of mercy by naming the Argentinian forward, Carlos Tevez, on the bench alongside the in-form French full back, Patrice Evra.

This being a fixture the footballing world would expect Manchester United to win, Keane could afford to gamble with his team selection but handing a Premier League debut to 17-year-old unknown Martyn Waghorn was brave even by the confident Irishman's standards.

Prolific for Sunderland's reserve team, and with an FA Youth Cup hat-trick under his belt earlier this month, the teenager has been forging quite a reputation on Wearside.

Once with United as a child, Waghorn was given the kind of late Christmas present most young hopefuls could only dream of.

Yet the South Shields-born forward was a spectator as Ronaldo created and almost converted the first chance of a fast-paced opening period.

Fouled by the Sunderland and former Manchester United defender Danny Higginbotham, the Portuguese midfielder stepped up to take the free kick 20 yards from goal and his swerving shot was beaten away by the Scotland goalkeeper, Craig Gordon.

Waghorn may admire Ronaldo but on his homepage on Sunderland's official website it is Rooney he names as his favourite current player.

In the 20th minute it was abundantly clear why every emerging English forward wants to follow in the England international's footsteps as United's talismanic striker broke the deadlock in fine style.

A neat exchange of passes between the full back, Wes Brown, and Ronaldo culminated in Rooney being given the opportunity to race clear on goal. Gordon was powerless to prevent a measured finish inside his left post and Keane suddenly faced another stiff test of his managerial talent.

Ten minutes later the Sunderland manager's task became almost impossible as Rooney turned provider to double the visitors' lead.

His pinpoint cross landed at the feet of Saha and the France international could not have asked for an easier opportunity.

It was Ronaldo who capped a mesmerizing half with a trademark free kick in the 45th minute, after former United star Dwight Yorke fouled Darren Fletcher 22 yards from goal.

Unsurprisingly United eased off after the break with Ronaldo making way for the South Korean Park Ji-Sung and the Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic stepping aside for the Spanish under-21 international Gerard Pique.

Rooney spurned a glorious chance to extend the visitors' advantage when he fired Nani's 76th minute cross over the bar.

But there was still time for Saha to score his second goal of the game, the French striker stroking home a penalty four minutes from time after Danny Collins had brought down Nani.

[Freddy Adu]

Keane stares into abyss


Written by: AFP

	Sunderland manager Roy Keane watches from the sideline as his squad plays Manchester United at the Stadium of Light. Keane´s rookie season as a Premier League manager took another painful turn for the worse as his former club eased to a comfortable 4-0.

SUNDERLAND, England (AFP) - Roy Keane, the former Manchester United midfielder, has learnt a series of painful lessons in his first season as a Premier League manager, but none could have hurt quite so much as that he was forced to endure at the hands of his one-time employers.

After 12 years patrolling the Old Trafford beat, the Irishman will always be guaranteed cult status among those who support the biggest club in the world but such outstanding service merited no more than a rousing reception from the traveling hordes on Wednesday.

On the field the reunion was merciless as Manchester United eased to a 4-0 victory and brutally exposed the gulf in class between the top flight’s haves and have-nots.

Sir Alex Ferguson later conceded Sunderland were suffering their 'stickiest patch of the season so far' but the Scot will lose little sleep over the fact that his slick side made things even more uncomfortable for Keane.

The discomfort will only intensify should the Wearside club fail to win against Bolton Wanderers at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

"We're in a sticky patch," admitted Keane, echoing his former mentor’s assessment of a club in decline. "We're in a massive fight. That was a harsh lesson. But if you're going to get beaten 4-0 at home then why not to a very good team?

"My old club will win the league. I said it earlier this season and I've seen nothing to change my mind. Manchester United were missing players but they still flexed their muscles. We could say they took their foot off the gas after half-time but the game was already lost by then."

A neat exchange of passes between the full back, Wes Brown, and Cristiano Ronaldo allowed Wayne Rooney to open the floodgates.

Ten minutes later Keane’s task became almost impossible as Rooney turned provider to double the visitors’ lead. His pinpoint cross landed at the feet of Louis Saha and the France international could not have asked for an easier opportunity.

It was Ronaldo who capped a mesmerizing half with a trademark free kick in the 45th minute, after Dwight Yorke fouled Darren Fletcher 22 yards from goal, and poor Keane appeared utterly perplexed.

Unsurprisingly United eased off after the break with Ronaldo making way for the South Korean Park Ji-Sung, who made his first appearance since suffering a serious knee injury in March, and Nemanja Vidic stepping aside for the Spanish under-21 international Gerard Pique.

Rooney spurned a glorious chance to extend the visitors' advantage when he fired Nani's 76th minute cross over the bar.

But there was still time for Saha to score his second goal of the game, the French striker stroking home a penalty four minutes from time after Danny Collins had brought down Nani.

"Ronaldo’s free kick was the killer," added Keane.

"We might have felt we had a chance at 2-0 down but you don’t come back to beat Man Utd 4-3. The fact is that they clearly have some quality players and there’s no other way of dressing that up.

"After watching that display my money is still on Manchester United winning the title. They’re a great attacking team and they have two decent centre halves too. That’s what you need to win leagues."

As for Ferguson, he can look forward to a title battle in which he believes the form of Wayne Rooney may be critical.

"I think Wayne is getting back to what we would expect of him," the Scot said. "Forwards tend to go on runs and this might be the start for him."