Keane steps up training
Sunderland boss Roy Keane had a nasty shock for his players this week when he worked them harder than ever despite having admitted he may have to ease off.
Keane’s troops might have been lulled into a false sense of security after reading his comments in the wake of last Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Fulham when he suggested his training regime may have been too intense.
However, if they expected an easy week ahead of Monday night’s Barclays Premier League trip to Manchester City, they were soon disabused of the notion.
Asked if he had reduced the workload, Keane replied: “No, we have trained them even harder this week.
“The players were probably surprised and shocked – maybe they read my comments and thought they were in for an easy week.
“It’s been really tough. It’s been a tough week for them, I have to say, but obviously, we have got to look at it in terms of the bigger picture.
“When you have got nine days between games, you certainly do not take it easy.
“We have to keep the players on their toes, but looking at the bigger picture, possibly we have been doing that too much – certainly, the sessions might have been slightly long.
“But we do get feedback from the players anyway and maybe as the season goes on, that’s something we need to calm down on, I suppose.
“But this week wasn’t the week for that.”
Keane is a great believer in team activities away from the training pitch – his players have already been on an outside adventure course this season and were heading off for a go-karting session this afternoon.
The Irishman, who was renowned for his commitment and meticulous preparation as a player, is keen to strike a balance as he continues to foster the kind of collective spirit both on and off the pitch he believes his men will need as a difficult season progresses.
However, he knows too that there is no substitute for hard work and the rewards it brings.
Keane said: “There’s a great satisfaction for anybody. You cannot beat going home knowing you have done a good day’s work.
“There’s the physical stuff and the games, and especially if you are in the bottom half of the league, the mental stuff, and that’s why sometimes we have taken the players out of this environment.
“It is all about getting the balance right. But I am lucky with the players we have got at this club because they all train extremely hard anyway.
“There is a good tempo and a good edge to our training, and I wouldn’t like it any other way.”
He added with a smile: “Maybe we just need to shorten the sessions from four hours to three.”
Keane will be without the suspended Paul McShane and Greg Halford for the trip to Eastlands, and while Andy Cole, Dean Whitehead and Carlos Edwards are back in training, they are unlikely to be available for several weeks yet.
Dwight Yorke and Roy O’Donovan will be given until the last minute to prove their fitness ahead of another difficult fixture.
But for a few hours at least, Keane’s players were able to forget about the pressure of the hunt for Premier League points and concentrate on the race-track, although without their manager.
He said: “I don’t think I’ll be going – it would be too dangerous.”
