Sunderland left in a training daze

IF Stuart Pearce — Psycho himself — winced as he witnessed at first hand the rigours of Roy Keane’s training regime, it is no wonder the Sunderland manager is now questioning whether he is pushing his players too hard.

Keane revealed after this nerve-jangling encounter with fellow strugglers Fulham that England U21 manager Pearce, famed as one of football’s fiercest competitors, was taken aback by the “intensity” of the training his former Nottingham Forest teammate is presiding over at the Academy of Light.

One quality that Keane’s Draconian methods have clearly instilled in his side is staying power. Kenwyne Jones produced the Black Cats’ latest late salvo to salvage a point only four minutes from the end of a game in which the home side almost achieved an improbable victory after one of the worst displays during Keane’s tenure. But Keane has been receptive to the observations of Pearce, who dropped in last week to cast his eye over the work in progress on Wearside.