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.

Keano and Eriksson Vying For Richardson

The Daily Mirror is running an article stating that both Roy Keane and Sven Goran Eriksson are interested in Manchester United winger Kieran Richardson. I am quite sure the England international is on the move, but he does seem to have a tough choice ahead of him. One is his ex-captain, another was his ex-England head. I would think he is more keen on a Man City move, since he wasn't exactly on the best of terms with Keane when the Sunderland manager was still at Manchester United. The possible backlash from Manchester United fans won't bother him too much though. He wasn't exactly a first team player or a fans' favourite in the first place.