Keane: Bring on Derby
Sunderland boss Roy Keane is relishing tomorrow's game against Derby County, admitting: "I can't wait!"
The clash against the Premier League's bottom club is being billed in some quarters as a relegation six-pointer, even though it's only four months into the season.
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But Keane says he feels no nerves about the game.
He said: "I'm really looking forward to it, as you should to any game where you have got more than 40,000 fans paying to watch it.
"After last week's defeat against Everton, a 7-1, I wish we could have played a game on Sunday or even Monday just to get it out of our systems.
"It's been a while coming round it seems – a long week for us, but it's a match I expect all the players to be up for.
"We can talk about it as much as we want but the moment of truth will come tomorrow when the game gets under way."
Derby have appointed escape specialist Paul Jewell as their new boss and the Rams will be looking for the immediate effect that a new boss sometimes produces.
Keane said: "To be honest I haven't really thought about that side of things, all I've been concentrating on this week is doing things right as far as we are concerned.
"Derby County was my first game in charge and we got a win there, so I'm sure they'll be hoping for the same under their new manager. From my point of view all I have got to think about is us.
"We've got good characters in our dressing room and tomorrow they will need to show that character. People talk about needing to get a good start and of course that is important because you can't afford to give teams head starts in this division.
"But to be honest I think the first 95 minutes is important! I'm not being funny when I say that, I just think you have to try to be good in a game from start to finish."
Keane could make changes for tomorrow's game with Andy Cole a possible starter in the place of Michael Chopra.
Keane is eager to put the Everton result behind the club. And he is determined that it will become one of those results which are seen purely as a fluke.
He said: "Getting beat 7-1 is something which has a big effect on you. You shouldn't be surprised by anything in football because you have to be aware that football constantly throws up surprises.
"But could we have seen that one coming? 7-1? I don't think so.
"That's because we hadn't been playing previously like a team that was going to get that sort of result against them. We played fantastic in our last game, the match against Newcastle United, which we should have won.
"So it's not as if this was something which was looking as though it was on the cards.
"That is something I think that the fans are aware of and it's great that they are turning up in such numbers tomorrow.
"Our last home performance against Newcastle we deserved to win and the fans were great that day.
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Weather for Sunderland
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South west
