Roy Keane’s appointment as Sunderland manager was supposed to start a revolution at the Stadium of Light. It did, unfortunately, having enjoyed early success as they stormed the barricades, the Black Cats revolution has lost momentum because somebody forgot to pack any ammunition.
The early impetus produced early rewards, but when you are firing blanks in front of goal it’s pretty hard to continue to gain ground.
It would be easy for some to start doubting whether Keane’s arrival is going to have the immense impact first predicted, but I don’t think the recent stumbles are anything to get too worried about. To the contrary, I think they will benefit the club and Keane in the long term.
The former Manchester United captain does not have the Midas touch - but turning everything you touch into gold, while novel and extremely profitable, is not really necessary as a football manager. Far better to profit through trial and error, construction and regeneration.
With Colchester the next visitors to Wearside this weekend, Sunderland are just six points off the play offs. Unfortunately, they are also only four points above the relegation zone.
Like British soldiers at the Battle of the Somme, the Black Cats have charged over the top with Keane barking out the orders, but they have become bogged down in mid-table no man’s land and are even danger of being pushed back from whence they came.
However, unlike Britain’s officer class during the First World War, a calm head is needed, not hysterical and reckless calls for more effort and more men.
The thing that has impressed me about Keane is that, rather than the snarling beast motivator his was painted as at times during his hugely successful playing career, there is a calm and methodical thinker behind the Red Devils mask.
Keane is not interested in starting revolutions, he wants to implement gradual change; the creation of an irresistible force from firm foundations; the rebuilding of a club from top to bottom. Don’t forget, this is a manager cut from Sir Alex Ferguson’s cloth. The Scot changed everything at Old Trafford, but he did not enjoy instant success.
In some respects, Keane’s first three months in charge have been a learning process, he has learnt about himself as a manager, the club, the region and he will have learnt plenty more about his players.
He will know who he wants to keep and he will know where he needs to strengthen by January, all Sunderland have to do is make sure they are not too far off the promotion pace when the transfer window opens and a return to the Premiership will remain a realistic objective.
As things stand, a physical striker and a right winger would appear to be at the top of the manager’s shopping list, but Sunderland have the financial backing to ensure they are active in the transfer market when the time comes.
Mind you, while some changes come from revolutions and some come via more cautious means, it’s pretty safe to say that a home win over Essex opponents on Saturday will certainly help to lift the mood!
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