September 2008 Archives

BURNLEY want to sign Sunderland defender Russell Anderson - once he has recovered from the cruciate injury that has ruled him out for the rest of the season.

The Scotland international defender joined Championship side Burnley in the summer on a season-long loan after he failed to force his way into the Black Cats side during an injury-hit first season on Wearside.

And Anderson has suffered more bad luck at Turf Moor, damaging his cruciate knee ligament in Burnley's 1-0 Carling Cup win against Premier League Fulham last week.

But Clarets boss Owen Coyle says he is interested in signing the 29-year-old once he is fit again.

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DANNY Collins has voiced his disappointment at losing his Sunderland place on the back of one bad game but the Welshman realises it is a sign of things to come.

The 28-year-old was the Black Cats' player of last season having featured mostly at left-back, and made an impressive start to the current campaign in his favoured position in the centre.

But a poor showing - one of many - in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City days after Anton Ferdinand's signing cost him his place in the Premier League side until last week's match at Aston Villa. Collins admitted having to watch from the bench was hard but accepts it as the price of such a competitive squad.

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SUNDERLAND'S sloppiness was ruthlessly punished by Aston Villa - and Roy Keane knows his side must heed the warning.

The Black Cats did the hard part by getting their noses in front at Villa Park thanks to Djibril Cisse's early strike.

Then they were undone by set-piece specialists Villa, who took full advantage of two free-kicks needlessly conceded by the visitors.

The first came about after a blatant bodycheck by Liam Miller on Ashley Young - and the little winger lashed home the free-kick through a gap in the four-man wall.

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ROY Keane believes that Sunderland can catch up with Aston Villa at the front of the Premier League's chasing pack within the space of two years.

The Black Cats were disappointed losers at Villa Park on Saturday as defensive lapses cost them dear but, with eight games of the season gone, Keane says has seen enough from his squad to suggest that Sunderland are moving forward, despite mixed results. The weekend defeat emphasised how far they still have to travel along that road to the 'next level' as an impressive Aston Villa side fought back from conceding Djibril Cissé's excellently-worked tenth-minute goal to secure all three points.

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CRAIG GORDON says Sunderland will take confidence from one of the turning points of last season when they go to Aston Villa tomorrow.

The Wearsiders earned their first win of the season on the road at Villa Park in March, thanks to a late goal from substitute Michael Chopra.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill has strengthened over the summer and Gordon admits they are a formidable side.

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ROY Keane is ready to sanction a loan exodus of his misfiring fringe men after the Carling Cup "shambles" earlier this week but Carlos Edwards, one of the players heavily linked with a temporary move, intends to stay at Sunderland and fight for his place.

The Black Cats manager was furious after his side plotted their faltering path into the final 16 on Tuesday and accused some of his squad players of failing to make the most of a rare opportunity to impress.

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ANTHONY STOKES says Sunderland have to forget their dismal Carling Cup display against Northampton - and count their blessings instead.

Republic of Ireland international Stokes was the Black Cats' hero against the League One side in midweek as the substitute netted twice in the last five minutes of normal time to drag Sunderland back from 2-0 down to force extra-time.

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ROY Keane has warned Sunderland's supporters he will not tolerate the personal abuse directed at him during the drab Carling Cup win over Northampton Town - even though he understands how they feel.

Keane did not hold back in his own criticism of the players who struggled to dispatch the League One side following a penalty shoot-out victory, but he also took a swipe at some of the club's supporters in the process.

Having fallen two goals behind against Northampton, the crowd's mood turned ugly and Keane, as well as the players, were targeted verbally from the stands.

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ROY KEANE was in no mood for taking pity on his side - but the only word he could come up with to sum up Sunderland last night was 'shambles.'

There were plenty of other words he would have liked to have used but, in public at least, he managed to control his fury - just!

I am sure the players in the dressing room were not so lucky, but any verbal volley Keane directed at his side was fully justified.

Because, make no mistake, it is hard to describe just how shockingly awful Sunderland were against League One strugglers Northampton Town.

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A quick reminder to those Sunderland fans who decided it was a good idea to abuse Roy Keane during Sunderland's lacklustre Carling Cup performance against Northampton - dumb idea.

In case you have forgotten Keane has been largely responsible for getting the club back into the Premier League and keeping it there last season. He has raised the club's ambitions again over the summer and he has raised its national profile immeasurably.

He also happens to have just opened talks about extending his contract at the Stadium of Light which expires at the end of the season. If you tell him he resembles penis or a village idiot, and if you tell him to go back to Ireland with a few expletives thrown in for good measure, he could do just that!

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