Match Preview: United v Sunderland
Will Roy Keane’s return to Old Trafford be a romantic tale or the occasion for a mauling?
The United midfield legend left under a cloud two years ago, after an attack on falling standards at the club made his position untenable. He returns this evening having rebuilt his relationship with Sir Alex but with a mountain to climb if his side are to retain its Premiership status.
In recent years, Reading ,Wigan, West Ham, Portsmouth and Bolton have proven that newly promoted sides can flourish in the top league. Sheffield United, Watford and a dozen others have demonstrated the extreme difficulty of the task without a generous benefactor and lashings of luck.
Even with Celtic millions behind him and blessed by the luck of the Irish, Keane’s job of consolidating Sunderland in the Premiership is enormous. The team was beaten midweek by Luton in the Carling Cup and has struggled for form in the Premiership after the philip of an opening day win against Spurs.
The club is plagued by an injury crisis described as “massive” by the manager which deprives him of four important players. Keane said: “People go on about (Manchester) United missing Rooney and Ronaldo, but Dean (Whitehead) and Carlos (Edwards) are a bigger loss for us than that club because we are not strong enough.
“We have to be patient in certain positions. We have signed a lot of new players and some settle in quicker than others.”
That said, there are whispers about the quality of the manager’s recruits. Keano’s rant against players encouraged by their WAGS into signing for clubs with better local shopping than that available in Sunderland, was a silly season sensation. It now appears to some as a manager getting his excuses in early. Isn’t the Keane name alone sufficient to tempt playesr with top level experience to the north east? Are Higginbotham and Jones, both last seen in the colours of Stoke City and Southampton respectively, likely to strengthen a side desperate to stay in the Premiership?
Keane will answer yes and if Sir Alex’s nugget-laden interview with Des Lynam is any guide, the Sunderland boss might be worth believing.
“He’s got the basic ingredients to make it to the top,” Ferguson said of Keane. “He’s got a good knowledge of the game, he’s intelligent, he’s strong-minded, he can make a decision and that’s a great start.
“What he doesn’t have at the moment is experience. He did a fantastic job last year to get Sunderland promoted but you are in the big pool now – you are in amongst the sharks.”
Yet as Sir Alex reminds, last year’s Championship success was just that – last year! Keane has it all to do again this season from an infinitely weaker position. Keane’s brief is to stay in the league in a year when the Premiership just got tougher.
If Keane’s eye for a player will be tested this evening at Old Trafford, so will be his footballing credentials as a future manager of England’s finest. His construction of a football team, how the side sets up, how it plays and the strength of the performance will be noted for future reference.
Keane won seven Premiership titles and four FA Cups at United. Whilst there are other rivals for the United hotseat – with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now added to the list – Keane would be the red hot favourite were fans to be the decision-makers. A good showing by Keane’s Sunderland would increase his following even more.
Typically, the Sunderland boss shows few emotions as the match approaches. “I am not expecting hugs and kisses from anybody,” he said. “Let’s be under no illusions here, United and Alex Ferguson will want to beat Sunderland and myself as much as any other club, and rightly so. You wouldn’t expect anything different.
“I have said many times that I played against teams before there and you just looked at them in the tunnel and they were already beaten. We have just got to make sure we are not beaten in the tunnel.”
Such bluntness only enhances Keane’s appeal. Sir Alex will be looking to do his protégé no favours and will send out United with the command to bring back three points. After the relief of a first victory last week against Tottenham, United cannot afford anything less with Chelsea already streaking to a five point lead.
“The gap is recoverable because if anyone can go on a long winning run it’s us,” Ferguson said.
For that to happen, United will need to improve notably on last week’s performance. The attacking momentum which has taken United to the summit of domestic football since February 2006 was strangely absent. The team was largely subdued and allowed Spurs too much time to impose themselves on the proceedings. There was little penetration from the flanks and a lack of belief from Tevez in the centre.
A superb goal from Nani saved the day but Sir Alex will see a game against a newly promoted side as just the tonic needed for a team still finding its best form. The international two week hiatus allows United’s injured players the time to move forward with their recovery. Ronaldo, if he is not too worn out by his partying, will be back to add magic to United’s attack against Everton later this month.
That is for the future. Today, the manager will be boosted by the return of Louis Saha for his first Premiership match for eight months.
“I don’t think he’ll be starting but he is such an important player when he comes off the bench too,” the manager added.
With so much riding on the game and with both teams needing a good performance as well as three points, United versus Sunderland should be an occasion to savour.
READ: How to beat Sunderland
