ROY KEANE has warned that any Sunderland player lulled into complacency by last Saturday's 2-1 defeat of Newcastle United will find themselves out of the team to face Stoke City tonight.
Keane said yesterday he could easily spot a self-satisfied footballer. The symptoms include walking on the heels rather than the toes and wearing tracksuit bottoms to training. "I've seen other clubs win derbies and then not be at it," said Sunderland's manager. "If I feel any of our players are complacent they won't be on the coach for Stoke. They can stay at home and watch Coronation Street instead.
"We have got 21, 22 players available, and if I think for one minute any of them are still living in Saturday, then they can be tucked up with their wives tonight, they won't be on the bus with us."
Accordingly, Keane intended to study training intently. "I'll be looking at the way they walk out. If they walk on their heels that's not good. I think you should jog out to training, so I'll be looking out of my window. Players coming out with tracksuit bottoms on, that's another not-so-good sign. Tracksuit bottoms are always a sign of how switched-on players are."
Keane is more relaxed about players seeking protection from the cold. "I don't trip myself up about players wearing gloves now," he said. "I might not like it, but I bogged myself down with a lot of trivial stuff last season. Gloves are not a sign of weakness. John Barnes used to wear tights and he was a hell of a player.
"I don't lose sleep over Pascal Chimbonda wearing gloves, Djibril's (Cisse) tattoos or (El-Hadji) Diouf's cars or clothes. Maybe I once wanted everyone to be like me, but that's not going to be the case. Everyone's different, and that's what I'm learning."
Meanwhile, Hull City begin the most distinguished four days in their history today with manager Phil Brown far from intimidated by the challenge ahead.
The high-flying Tigers host Chelsea at the KC Stadium before travelling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Saturday.
Many would expect this to be the week when Hull's bubble bursts after an outstanding start to the season.
But after four successive victories, three of them with clean sheets, Brown insists his side will not fear Chelsea.
"It is a massive game for us because, one, it is the next one and, two, we have won four on the bounce," he said. "Confidence levels are sky high, but what that manifests itself in is us looking forward to the game rather than being frightened.
"At the start of the season people would have been fearing this fixture, but now all of a sudden we're not, we're looking forward to it."
Last weekend's 3-0 victory at West Brom has taken their points tally to 20 after nine games, just three behind leaders Liverpool and level with Chelsea.
Guardian Service
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