Keane admits pushing players too hard

SUNDERLAND boss Roy Keane admits he may have asked too much of some of his players during a difficult first season back in the Barclays Premier League.

The Black Cats head into Saturday’s crucial derby clash with Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light still smarting from their 2-0 defeat by arch-rivals Newcastle last weekend and with injuries once again hampering their efforts to drag themselves to safety.

He has been forced repeatedly to reshuffle a small pack through the campaign, and he believes the physical demands on some of his troops may be starting to tell.