It was interesting to read Niall Quinn’s comments at the weekend when he admitted Sunderland will have to fend off interest from rival clubs in manager Roy Keane in the summer.
Interesting because, until a fortnight ago, Sunderland were still one of the favourites to go down and nobody would have been interested in a manager who had just got his side relegated, and interesting because the next few months will tell us much about Keane’s attitude towards the Black Cats and the club’s attitude towards him.
In my last blog entry on Sunderland I likened the Irishman to Brian Clough, which was hardly a revolutionary statement, but a valid one nonetheless.
However, Clough - with the obvious exception of Leeds United - built his reputation by staying at clubs for a long period of time, building them up from relative mediocrity to champions. He felt an attachment to them and the clubs, particularly the fans, adored him for it.
Football, though, is a different game now than it was then. Well, it’s not, the aim of the game is the same and the rules remain largely untouched, but today, it is a big business rather than just a sport and Keane may intend to use the Wearsiders as a stepping stone to bigger and better things, fame and fortune.
There are more glamorous clubs out there, at home and abroad, than Sunderland who would love to have someone like Keane at the helm, clubs who might be able to dangle European football in front of him, as well as big city life and a massive wage packet.
Yet, I do not get the impression that is something that appeals to Keane. He likes the countryside, he already has enough money to keep him and his family in the lifestyle they are accustomed - he will also get a pay rise when he is offered a new contract by Quinn - and he seems to have a genuine affinity for all things red and white.
I think he will be at Sunderland for years. Well, I say years, but what I actually mean is he will be at the Stadium of Light for as long as things don’t go pear shaped before Sir Alex Ferguson retires at Manchester United.
I honestly feel that is the only manager’s job that would tempt Keane to leave Sunderland because he is not stupid. He knows the two most valuable commodities a manager can be given are time and money and he has both at the Stadium of Light.
He has done enough in his first 18 months in the dugout - promotion and, barring any disasters, avoiding relegation - to have built up plenty of goodwill with the board and the supporters. That will take some shifting.
And, in the Drumaville consortium, he also knows he has the financial backing to potentially take Sunderland up another couple of levels. European football may seem a long way off at the moment, but the money he can throw around in the transfer market means the Wearsiders - potentially - have as good a chance as anyone of qualifying for a Uefa Cup slot.
Where else would he go? What can other clubs offer him that Sunderland can’t? And what would Clough have done?
Clough would have told him to stay where he is because he has a good chairman and good supporters. So, while Quinn may be worried about losing him to a rival, I don’t think he should have any sleepless nights about it - as long as there aren’t any calls from Old Trafford!
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