Keane expects ‘nervy’ night with Birmingham
But the Black Cats’ manager is resolute in his conviction that they can avoid the ignominy that befell him when he was a player with Nottingham Forest 15 years ago.
Forest’s relegation from the inaugural Premier League marked the sad end of Brian Clough’s illustrious managerial career.
Keane, whose side host relegation rivals Birmingham tonight, stressed: “A lot of good teams have been relegated — but they went down, so they couldn’t have been that good.
“Forest had a very good team, but we lost so many games by the odd goal and we didn’t have anybody to put the ball in the back of the net. We didn’t have a centre-half — I played centre-half for two or three months — and we sold Teddy Sheringham.
“We are where we are, and if the league finished now we’d be relegated.
“Fortunately for us, there are plenty more games ahead and I still think we’re definitely improving as the season goes on. It’s not as if we’re cast adrift, like Derby. There are three or four other teams around us.
“But you have to remind the players that you have to turn some of the decent performances into results, like the recent away games at Tottenham, Blackburn and Reading, games we should have got something out of.
“But that’s why the Premier League is brilliant — I love that about the league. We would have got away with a lot of the mistakes we’ve made this season if we’d still been in the Championship.
“But you don’t in the Premier League and that’s why it’s so brutal and that’s why we love it.”
Keane expects a “nervy’’ night against Alex McLeish’s Birmingham, but insisted: “There will be anxiety and tension, but if there wasn’t I would be worried.”
New boys Phil Bardsley and Rade Prica, signed last week, are in the squad and Keane believes they are the sort of “low-maintenance’’ players he needs.
Right-back Bardsley joined from Manchester United in a deal worth up to £2million (2.6m), while Sweden striker Prica arrived from Danish side Aalborg for a similar fee.
Keane, who dismissed reports that he had tried to sign Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell, admits he has been put off certain targets because they “ask too many questions”.
He said: “The two new lads have a chance of being involved. They’re low-maintenance players and that’s the type I’m after.
“We’ve got Bardo, who’s from Salford — like Danny Simpson, who was here from United last season. Maybe I should go to Salford more often, because they’re tough lads.
“With Bardo, it’s always hard for a player to leave United, but he had a lot of good players in front of him and I think Sunderland is a top club for him to come to. The Swedish lads tend to be mentally tough as well.
“The two lads aren’t going to make or break our season, but we hope they can play a big part. We’re not expecting Prica to come in and score 10 goals between now and the end of the season, but he will give us something different.”
Keane added: “Some players ask too many questions. I think that’s wrong, but I’ve had that with one or two.
“The two players who have come here in the past week won’t do that. Some clubs need a certain type of player — a no-nonsense type. To be at Sunderland you need to be that type of player, certainly at this moment in time.
“I’m the one asking the questions and I want them to just keep quiet and get on with the job. Some have asked who else we were buying. That’s one — and that’s one too many. When I went to Nottingham Forest, I never asked Brian Clough one question and when I went to United I never asked Alex Ferguson one question.
“Players ask too many questions and that has changed my mind about one or two, definitely. We’re not going to get into any sort of panic situation. If the deals come off, brilliant, if they don’t I’ve not lost a minute’s sleep.”
Keane, without midfielder Kieran Richardson (hamstring) and striker Michael Chopra (suspended) anticipates outgoing deals before the transfer window closes on Thursday. He said: “I expect maybe two or three to go this week, either on loan or permanently.”
