Suddenly worn out on Wearside

SOCCER ROY KEANE'S RESIGNATION:THERE WAS a melancholy snowfall on the ground and the tone was reverential going on mournful: Roy Keane left Sunderland yesterday, reports Michael Walker

It had been trailed, not least by the man himself last Saturday when Keane revealed he asked himself each morning in the mirror if he was the man to manage Sunderland.

Yesterday morning that answer was no. After 100 games in charge on Wearside, during which promotion and Premier League survival were achieved, Keane instructed his solicitors to fax through confirmation of his decision to depart.

Sunderland were not stunned. Chairman Niall Quinn had been expecting this for 72 hours, though Keane's mood varied in that period and there were moments when Keane looked in the mirror and said yes, he could go on.

But at 1pm yesterday, in the seat normally occupied by Keane for the weekly press conferences that have fascinated, entertained and sometimes baffled reporters over the past two years and three months, Quinn confirmed Keane's departure and offered some explanation.

"He officially resigned this morning," Quinn said. "We'd been in negotiations for the last few days to see if we could provide a solution together, and at all times every conversation was qualified by what was in the best interests of the club. Ultimately Roy's decided in the best interests of the club that somebody else takes the next chapter of where this club goes.

"He felt he'd reached the point where he'd put a lot of effort in here. He brought more than just his presence, he brought a way of thinking into the place. He was instrumental in developing a winning mentality, which was the toughest thing to do when we were at the foot of the Championship. He's brought standards to this club that are amazing, and it's intense to do that.

"He's a respected figure around the world, the media pressure is intense, the fans' pressure is intense.

"Everybody at the club has got huge respect for Roy, for what he does for Premier League football. He lifted this place off its knees. He's had a tremendous influence and it's a shame that today things happen this way.

"I spoke many times about Roy and I being in a partnership and it feels like a partnership has dissolved now. I wish him real well in the future, and maybe now he'll be able to go and do a few things I didn't let him do by getting to him so soon after he'd finished playing."

The reaction on Wearside was mixed, because the Keane Years were mixed. Locals will not forget that when Keane walked into the club it was bottom of the Championship having just endured a 15-point relegation from the Premier League as humiliating as possible. Pride was non-existent.

Quinn and the Drumaville consortium had staged a rescue but Keane gave it flesh and appeal. Sunderland began to grow again, began to win matches, won promotion and then stayed up. It had the feel of a club going places with a young manager who said he was "born to manage Sunderland". The fans loved it, loved Roy Keane. Pride was back.

However, fans had to bite lips when Keane entered the transfer market. The €5.8 million spent on bringing Michael Chopra, a former Newcastle player, from Cardiff was the start. Was he worth it? Debateable, though Chopra scored winning goals against Tottenham and Aston Villa last season. Keane kept mentioning those, but he stopped picking Chopra, who is back at Cardiff.

There was the €10.4 million spent on goalkeeper Craig Gordon, the €3.5 million on Reading's Greg Halford, now on loan at Sheffield United. There were others, and a debate among critical supporters centred on players who had been improved by Keane.

Everyone mentioned Nyron Nosworthy. In all, €90 million was spent.

"Roy Keane hasn't been sacked because we've a bad team," Quinn said, "he's resigning because we've a good team he feels he can't bring any further. There's a big difference there."

Five weeks ago Keane brought Sunderland to their first home win over Newcastle for 28 years. That left Sunderland ninth in the table and the atmosphere was buoyant. But five days later Sunderland lost 1-0 at Stoke and Keane's mood swung. "Typical," he said.

It has not been the same since. Keane talked about going to Mass to pray, but it was not working.

Looking at six of Sunderland's last nine matches, they hit the woodwork nine times. Had goals been scored on at least a couple of occasions, would Keane have worked himself into this hole of introspection? We shall not know, not for a while anyway.

Keane is unlikely to be seen in the game in the near future. There was immediate speculation about the vacancy at Nottingham Forest but that was scoffed at by those who know Keane well. It is understood he has had the remainder of his contract paid, but money was hardly an issue for a multi-millionaire.

What might become more pressing to Keane as the days go by are the inevitable accusations that, when things got really tough for the first time, he ducked out. He would counter that people have forgotten Sunderland won one of 13 games early last season.

There is also the notion of Keane's personality and its compatibility with football management. There was a local frenzy yesterday that he had resigned by text.

This was denied by the club. But they now have to look forward. To Manchester United tomorrow, without Roy Keane.