I Believe~

Well, I have always believed with Roy Keane's name and a well-established football club in Sunderland, there should be no problems in attracting relatively good names to the newly-promoted club. I was wrong, dead wrong. Leighton Baines and Craig Gordon are the two newest "rejects" - not rejected by Sunderland, it is them rejecting Sunderland? That is why I believe Roy Keane can lift his head high if he manages to keep Sunderland up next season. And I believe he will. Why? Because football is a game of eleven against eleven. Twenty-two legs against twenty-two legs. They will not get many wins. But Sunderland will get a decent home record and a few good results away from home. (I will not be surprised if they hold a few top teams to draws away from home) When that happens, Roy, you can look at those players that rejected you and snub them in turn. :)

I may have to take back my words when Sunderland does get relegated next season. I mean who is going to side with me? Keane is a new manager and Sunderland has a great reputation when it comes to being relegated after being promoted. The classic under-performers. On paper, their players are probably as bad as you can find in the whole Premier League. But I tell you, to me, Sunderland is Roy Keane and what is Roy Keane? One word. Character. They don't play the best football, they don't have the best players. But I believe every time Keane sends out his starting eleven, these are eleven players he believes has character inside them - whether they are up one goal, down one goal or clinging onto a drop against a top team? This word - character, separates the great from the good, the bad and the worst. I saw it in Real Madrid and Sunderland last season and I believe I can see it in Sunderland this season.

Wow, what a lot of speculation, before the community shield has even been played.