Roy still Keane as ever: Cole

SUNDERLAND striker Andy Cole insists manager Roy Keane has not changed one bit since the days when they stood shoulder to shoulder at Manchester United.

Keane has cultivated a calmer approach to football since stepping into management at the Stadium of Light, although his joy at Anthony Stokes’ injury-time winner against Derby on Saturday was there for all to see.

But while he may be a model of control in public, his 36-year-old former team-mate insists the passion and commitment which characterised his playing days still burn brightly.

Cole said: “The manager is the manager. What I know of him, he has not changed as a person.

“He is what he is and the way he manages is the way he played.

“You just have to get on with it, you get used to it in time. There are a lot of young players who may not be used to it, but I am used to how he was as a player, so I will just crack on with it.

“Some things never change. I played with him for seven years. I know what he is about, I know what winds him up.

“But all you can do is do your best by him. If you do that, he is more than happy with that.

“I have enjoyed watching what he tries to do. It is enjoyable to come in and see a young manager at work and see what it actually takes.

“It is not just about playing any more, it is about organising the whole football club, the players and the staff.

“I have enjoyed it and if I do decide to do it, I know what to expect.”

However, while managerial casualties in the Premier League have already reached alarming proportions this season, Cole is confident there is a long-term plan in place on Wearside amid talk of a lucrative new contract for Keane.

He said: “Sunderland and the manager have a long-term plan. The position Sunderland were in at the start of last season, no-one thought they would be promoted and be in the Premier League.

“For trigger-happy chairmen to be sacking their managers so early, I am very surprised.

“But it is a long-term plan here and I think the manager could have as long as he wants.

“Staying in the Premier League is the most important thing to the majority of the clubs.”