FROM today, there can be no more disquiet regarding Roy Keane’s managerial inexperience, nor that he lacks affinity with Sunderland. Both were concerns when Niall Quinn made one of the most daring appointments of recent years, but a fascinating journey begins against Derby County at Pride Park today. Eager to look forward, Keane is also promising to embrace the past.
Since the zenith of Peter Reid’s tenure as manager — when the club twice finished seventh in the Premiership, Kevin Phillips was breaking goalscoring records and the team were known for their effort, commitment and the ability to play above their limitations — Sunderland’s identity has been blurred. They remain defined and burdened by their history, yet shaped by a calamitous present.
Roker Park became a symbol of stagnation and although the Stadium of Light is a formidable venue — a statue of Bob Stokoe and a giant miner’s lamp stand outside — the club’s impressive training ground is sterile. A few shirts fringe the entrance, but as a place of work and breeding ground for excellence there is little sense of being Sunderland. Where are Charlie Hurley, Jimmy Montgomery? “The chit-chat within football meant I always knew they had very good facilities here, but you’ve got to make it a good environment and you’ve got to know you’re at Sunderland,” Keane said.
“As nice as this building is, it’s a bit cold. You want to get pictures up of past players, past teams, so people know what they belong to, know what they’re attached to. The team is the priority, but we’ll look at all that.”
The gesture may be meaningless if results do not follow, but Keane portrayed himself yesterday as more than a manager. The task of rebuilding the club’s links to its disaffected fan base he will leave to Quinn, the chairman and a visionary, but having excelled for so long at Manchester United, a name that still equates to romance as well as finance, Keane has an acute understanding of his new position.
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“I feel like a Sunderland man already,” he said. “It’s been good putting on the gear. That’s credit to the club, but generally speaking you go with your gut feeling and this certainly feels right. Staff, players and the young kids — do they feel part of the club? People have different priorities, but everyone has to want the same thing and that’s success.”