The doubt that drove Roy out

Keane's resignation leaves behind more questions than answers, not least the exact reasons behind his decision.

Was it simply the pressure of having won just one of his last seven matches in charge?

Was it witnessing his team being booed off the pitch for the second successive home game?

Quinn put it down to Keane feeling he had taken his expensively-assembled team as far as he could.

Maybe it was a combination of all of the above. Or maybe not.

Keane is a famously complex character and it is quite possible we will never know for certain why he woke up one day and suddenly decided he was no longer the man for the job.

But one issue that undoubtedly played a part was his seeming reluctance to commit to a
new contract, despite the fact his current deal had only six months left to run.

Keane did not want to be hurried but, understandably, new American majority shareholder, Ellis Short, wanted some indication of his manager's intentions before he would sanction any more spending in January.

It would have been crazy to give transfer cash to someone who may have left the club within a matter of months.

Certainly, Keane's non-committal words concerning his future over the past week or so had created a climate of uncertainty at the club which was doing nobody any good.

Nevertheless, this was still a sad way for Keane's tenure to end.

Because he was an instant hit when he took over in August 2006 with Sunderland floundering next-to-bottom of the Championship and he led the club to promotion as champions just nine months later.

He then kept Sunderland in the Premier League last season and this term had set his sights on breaking into the ranks of mid-table.

And don't forget that it was only six weeks ago that Keane was feted as a hero after ending Sunderland's 28-year wait for a derby win over Newcastle on Wearside.
It just goes to show how quickly the landscape can change in football.

Keane did have his critics, however, with some fans openly questioning his tactics and team selection at times.

But the most damaging charge laid against him was that his record in the transfer market was mixed at best.

Keane spent around £80m in his two- and-a-quarter year spell as manager - the biggest spending spree in the club's history.

And while he brought in quality players such as Kenwyne Jones, Craig Gordon, Anton
Ferdinand, Andy Reid and Kieran Richardson, it was noticeable that a whole raft of other signings were quickly discarded - either moved on, loaned out or just left on the sidelines.

The likes of David Healy, Greg Halford, Paul McShane, Danny Higginbotham, David Connolly, Rade Prica, Michael Chopra, Russell Anderson and Ross Wallace all suffered one of those fates.

All too often, it seemed Keane needed to buy players before he could make up his mind whether they would fit into his team.

That led to a spiralling wage bill and it is known that was a source of concern at board level.

But this was Keane's first taste of management and he admitted that it was a very steep learning curve - particularly as he found himself in charge of a Premier League club less than 12 months after taking over a side that was in the Championship relegation zone. As Keane departs, Sunderland are in the relegation zone again, only this time in the Premier League.

But there is still every chance that the club can achieve their target of a mid-table finish.
They may be suffering 'second season syndrome' and languishing in the bottom three, but the Premier League is tighter than ever before and two victories could catapult them back into the top 10.

Sunderland have started their search for a new manager and, putting tomorrow's game at Manchester United to one side, if they appoint someone next week then his first two games will be against West Brom and Hull City.

While there is no such thing as a 'gimme' in the Premier League any more - if there ever was - both those games are winnable and the new man at the top could well find himself with six points out of six and in charge of a team in the top half of the table.