Sunderland and Roy Keane:Champions
Title and Promotion to Premiership for former Manchester Utd Captain
Sunderland and Roy Keane won promotion to the Premiership as Champions. The former Manchester United captain followed the example of his old manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Sunderland with Roy Keane as manager are Champions of the Coca-Cola Football League Championship. They completed their season with a 5-0 win at relegated Luton Town to move ahead of Birmingham City to claim the title. The victory gives Roy Keane, the former Manchester United captain, his first success as a manager – bringing Sunderland back into the Premiership as Champions, twelve months after being relegated following a season in which they finished had with a paltry 15 points having won only three League games.
Roy Keane’s introduction into football management was as sudden as it was unexpected. Sunderland started the season under the new ownership of a consortium headed by former Sunderland and Republic of Ireland player, Niall Quinn. Initially, Quinn had taken on the dual role of Chairman and manager but after a disastrous start to the season in which Sunderland had lost their opening five games, he realised that serious action was required.
Following four Championship defeats and a loss to Bury in the Carling Cup during August, Quinn stepped down as manager and Roy Keane took up his first managerial role, having retired from playing due to injury only three months earlier. The turnaround was instant, his very presence in the stands bringing Sunderland’s first win against West Bromwich Albion. After taking charge, further wins followed against Derby County and Leeds United. West Brom and Derby were two teams who would be challenging for promotion throughout the season.
Having been appointed Keane put into practice the lessons he had learned under his two former managers, Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest and Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. He brought in new players on loan to strengthen the squad and the team made steady progress.
The characteristics of Keane as a player and as a person can be seen in his team – they are determined, they will not accept defeat and Keane as a great motivator has taken Sunderland from the very bottom of the League to promotion as Champions with his team suffering only one League defeat in 2007, including a run of seventeen League games undefeated.
By winning the League title Keane has followed the example of his old manager and mentor at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson whose team secured the Premiership title for a record ninth time this weekend.
Sunderland’s rivals for the title, Birmingham City, who are also managed by a former Manchester United captain, Steve Bruce, lost to a late goal at Preston North End and had to settle for promotion as runners-up.
The four contenders for the play-offs to determine the final promotion place won their games comfortably. Derby County and Southampton will contest one play-off while Wolverhampton Wanderers will meet West Bromwich Albion who had an emphatic 7-0 win over Barnsley, with Kevin Phillips scoring a hat-trick, to ensure they remained in contention for a return to the Premiership.
If West Brom achieve promotion then all three of last season’s relegated sides will have made a remarkable recovery to regain top flight status at the first attempt.
