Nobody Walks On Water For Long

The answer, of course, is lots of people. I'd give it a go. I don't have any coaching badges and I've never played professionally, but I'd still have a crack at it if a chairman was daft enough to give me an opportunity. I'm sure most of you are the same, being a football manager would be a great job if you ask me.

However, I suppose they do have a grain of a point. In fact, maybe even Keane feels they are talking some sense for once given his rapid fall from grace over the last four or five weeks.

Mastermind Sunderland's first Wear-Tyne derby win in 28 years and you're a hero, win one game in seven and you're a washed up loser heading down the same road to retirement as the likes of Bryan Robson and Sir Bobby Charlton, other former Manchester United midfielders who fell flat on their face as managers.

The problem for Keane is he wanted to raise expectations levels at Sunderland. He wanted to bang on about taking the club on to another level this season and he wanted people to talk about them as an emerging Premier League force - he wanted that because he wanted to be given the money to spend on new players.

He got everything he asked for in the summer without given Sunderland's board the one thing they wanted in return - his signature on a new, long term contract. Now, as the Black Cats steel themselves for another relegation battle, he is paying the price for that ambition, as well as his attempt to play games over his contract.

Keane likes to keep people on their toes, he wants them to feel uncertain in his presence and he wants to be unpredictable, but it is the board's turn to keep him on his toes because, unless results improve before Christmas, he will be on his way back to Cheshire to spend as much time as he wants with his family.

Keane spent big on a higher calibre of player in the summer, but he also bought players with bigger egos as a result and he has struggled to deal with them behind the scenes. Keane is an imposing and inspirational figure, but there are players in the dressing room who think they are just as imposing, just as important and just as talented.

Most of them are not, of course, but the dynamics have changed and at times in the poor run recently it has looked as though sections of that dressing room are no longer playing for their manager, annoyed by the constant tinkering with the side and rollockings which have followed poor performances.

Having drafted in the new players, Keane now faces a fight with them for authority and it is a battle he must win quickly if his promising managerial career is not going to suffer major, and possibly, fatal setback.

He will not be judged on the result at Old Trafford on Saturday. Instead it is the games against West Bromwich Albion and Hull City which will test the board's patience.

Six points from the next three games will restore his reputation and finally persuade him to shave off that ridiculous beard, three defeats and Keane's power base will have all but vanished at the Stadium of Light and Sam Allardyce might just be on his way back to the North East!