Keane relishes big week

[dreamer]

Keane relishes big week
19 February 2007
Sunderland Echo


ROY KEANE says his team faces a date with destiny this week when they take on the two sides he believes are favourites for automatic promotion.
But the Sunderland boss insists that his players are looking forward to the challenges ahead.
He said: "Tomorrow's game against Birmingham City is going to be an interesting one because, like Derby County, who we face this Saturday, there's not doubt in my mind that they've got to be a side which everyone will fancy to go up.

"They're in the driving seat, they're in pole position, and they will know, just as Derby do, that if they can beat us they will put a real distance between us and them.
"But I have to say that my players are really looking forward to the game. Of that I've got no doubt, I sense it in their body language.

"After the goalless draw against Crystal Palace, we could see that they were down a little bit and needed a lift. But that's certainly not the case at the moment.
"After the win over Southend United they were buzzing and I know that there's a feeling of anticipation among them as far as the Birmingham City game goes. That's great because that's the attitude I want."

Keane will be boosted by the fact that he picked up no injuries to his squad over the weekend.
He said: "We seem to be okay in that department. So I will have the same players to choose from and it's a sign of our squad's strength at the moment that I was able to leave the likes of Stan Varga, Daryl Murphy and Kenny Cunningham out of the squad on Saturday.

"These are all good signs in terms of switching the squad around for the games ahead and giving players rest when we need to. But the main thing is that the players continue to perform.

"We've had a great start to the year and it's pleasing that we finally broken into the play-off places but in a way, we've just done the easy part. Now the hard part begins, which is trying to do our very best to put pressure on the top two.

"And that job starts, I guess, tomorrow."

[black chinee]

will b interesting to see Stern, as he played with both clubs in the recent past.......

[Cartman]

will b interesting to see Stern, as he played with both clubs in the recent past.......

Stern will be fired up for it for sure and his confidence will be high after his 2 goals on Saturday, same again will do me 

[D.H.W]

Stern scoring two

[dreamer]

KEANE HAPPY WITH HIS GATECRASHERS
Date: 19 February 2007
The Shields Gazette (South Tyneside)


SUNDERLAND gatecrashed the play-off places for the first time this season, thanks to their biggest win of the campaign.

And there was no doubting Roy Keane's pride at a job well done as his team confidently dealt with a fixture which was always going to be a potential banana-skin.

"It was one of our best performances of the season," he said. "The players adapted to the game very quickly, scored four goals, kept a clean sheet and could have scored a few more, so overall it was a very good afternoon I have to say."

Far from seeing it as job done though after Sunderland went fifth, Keane sees the hard work as only just beginning in a promotion campaign involving up to 10 clubs which the manager expects to go down to the wire. He said: "We've been playing catch-up all season – right up to this point – but it will be nip and tuck from now, right to the end of the season.

"With this win, we've managed to squeeze into the play-offs, but we know that we can't rest on our laurels. "We work on our recovery over the weekend, then travel down to Birmingham and get ready for a cracking game.

"At least we're in the play-offs now, which is a plus for us. We've managed to squeeze in there and that's all credit to the players. All the plaudits have to go to the players and the staff because we knew we would have to go on a real good run if we were to have a chance. But the time to look at the table is at the end of the season."

There were many things that pleased him about the performance and he worked his way through them in the post-match press conference. There was the fact that he had quality in his two strikers and competition breathing down their necks in the shape of Anthony Stokes.

There was the dominance of his central midfield pairing of Dean Whitehead and Liam Miller.
And he was delighted with the hard tackling of his back four. But more than anything there was satisfaction that the ethos of professionalism and desire he's trying to instill into the squad seems to be genuinely taking root.

He said: "With the group of players I have now, I'm fairly relaxed before the game because I know that the least they're going to give me is 100 per cent and that's a great comfort for me, I have to say.
"I'm sure people expected us to win the game because we're at home and on a good run of form, but I only really felt that way myself after the training session the day before.

"I looked at training and stood back and I saw that the players looked really focused, strong physically and mentally, and I felt the same thing at the hotel the night before the game.
"It's a good feeling.

"I know that the players are going to give me 100 per cent, and that's a great tonic for me as a manager. It's different from the first few months, when so much was going on that I didn't know what to expect.

"But now I'm starting to get the players I want at the club and I'm starting to know I can rely on them."

[dreamer]

Watch..... soon Stern-turn-inho go be appearing on dis list. Well done Jonesy.

Top Scorers (www.bbc.com)

The Coca-Cola Football League Championship Top Scorers
 
 Player            Team                 TOTAL

Chopra            Cardiff                  19
Kamara            West Brom           18
Earnshaw         Norwich               17
Rasiak              Southampton       17
Iwelumo          Colchester            15
Cureton           Colchester            14
McSheffrey       Birmingham          14
Howard            Derby                  13
Jones          Southampton        12
Nugent            Preston                12
Vine                Birmingham          12
Lee                 Ipswich                 11
Phillips             West Brom            11
Gray                Burnley                 10
Hayles              Plymouth              10
 

[supporter]

Man i want to see 48,000 fans pack stadium of light for Derby. If they dont fill that stadium for the biggest game of the season then theyre really not a big club.

[RasIred]

Watch..... soon Stern-turn-inho go be appearing on dis list. Well done Jonesy.

Top Scorers (www.bbc.com)

The Coca-Cola Football League Championship Top Scorers
 
 Player            Team                 TOTAL

Chopra            Cardiff                  19
Kamara            West Brom           18
Earnshaw         Norwich               17
Rasiak              Southampton       17
Iwelumo          Colchester            15
Cureton           Colchester            14
McSheffrey       Birmingham          14
Howard            Derby                  13
Jones          Southampton        14
Nugent            Preston                12
Vine                Birmingham          12
Lee                 Ipswich                 11
Phillips             West Brom            11
Gray                Burnley                 10
Hayles              Plymouth              10
 

Eh dreamer after the brace he score .he have 14 now..

[D.H.W]

After tomorow he will have 16 lol

[SUPA]

will b interesting to see Stern, as he played with both clubs in the recent past.......

Stern will be fired up for it for sure and his confidence will be high after his 2 goals on Saturday, same again will do me 

Cartman, we here was thinking dat was de reason Keane rested Yorke, tuh have him fresh for these 2 games. We believe dat because of Yorke's experience and his ability tuh lead and get players tuh give 100% on de pitch, should be as important as Carlos and Stern having 2 excellent games. Well Yorke should be fit and ready, although he play dirty mas in Trinidad this morning    HIGHLYBLESSED.

[dreamer]

De same man who "run" Stern from Birmingham, bigging up meh boy now  . Alright alright, there are many theories about why Stern had to leave but daiz history now.
Steve Bruce is clearly fixated on Stern John and he is going to be very heavily marked.

Bruce keen to dent Sunderland's hopes
20 February 2007
Sunderland Echo


BIRMINGHAM City boss Steve Bruce is a big believer in Sunderland's promotion prospects.
But he says tonight's game is a great chance for his Birmingham City side to deal theose hopes a real blow.

The Blues manager was warning weeks ago that Sunderland were the team to watch in the Championship and that they were coming up on the rails in the promotion chase.

But even though he is a big admirer of the club's manager, skipper and team in general, he feels confident that his players are ready for the challenge of cementing their place in the top two.
He said: "Our next few games are all against the top teams and we've got a chance tonight to put a bit of daylight between ourselves and Sunderland.

"I'm looking forward to it. "They are a big club with big expectations and it will be good to see Roy - one thing about him is that whatever he goes into, he will be a success. Since I first met I've always been convinced of that. "He's a leader of men. Always has been, always will be.  "There's no question that Roy will do a great job at Sunderland and I consider them to be a genuine promotion rival to us."

Bruce regards Sunderland as a very well-balanced side, packed with useful players, including former Blues striker Stern John. He said: "They've got two good young lads out wide and Stern John and David Connolly up the middle.

"Then they've got possibly the best central midfielder in the division playing for them, in the shape of their captain, Dean Whitehead. "As for Stern, we know all about him. "He scored twice at the weekend and the reports I had back was that he was really, really good.

"We were close to bringing him back but the Rowan Vine thing became available and we went down that route instead. "Whenever he goes into a club he makes an impact. He did with us, scoring all those goals to get us promoted the last time. "Make no mistake, he was a very, very good player for this club and we have all got a lot of time for him"

Despite his admiration, though, Bruce reckons his team should have the measure of Sunderland and be capable of inflicting the Black Cats first defeat of 2007. "It's going to be a tough, tough game," he said.
"But this is what we're all in it for - for these types of occasions. "We should welcome the challenge.

"And the way the players performed on Saturday at Crystal Palace, I can guarantee that Sunderland will know they are going to be in for a tough time too

[krsrd]

Man i want to see 48,000 fans pack stadium of light for Derby. If they dont fill that stadium for the biggest game of the season then theyre really not a big club.

We all want to see a packed Stadium Of Light but to say we aren't a big club because we don't get 48'000 is unfair, although things are looking good at the moment we have been through A LOT of disappointment as a club and a lot of people are just waiting for the bubble to burst, realistically we'll only get a full house by being a consistent Premiership side and playing more attractive teams (how many kids will be begging their parents to take them to watch us play against Derby? maybe a few but no where near as many as there would be wanting to go and watch teams with Rooney, Gerrard etc.. playing) our attendances speak for themselves, we only filled between 60 - 65% of the stadium against Southend yet still had the 4th highest attendance in England with only Man United, Arsenal and Chelsea having more fans than us, we have an away following second to no one, we will be taking approx 8000 to Barnsley, (That's 8000 people, most of who will be doing a 200+ mile round trip to go and watch us play the team that are 22nd in the second tier of English football) and approx 2200 to Birmingham on a Tuesday night where most people won't get home until after midnight

Sorry for the long reply but we Don't need a full House for one game, we need a full house for EVERY game and that will take time to get the people coming back regularly

Edit: Just heard we've been allocated 9000 tickets