Fans still 'grieving' over Keane's exit

SUNDERLAND CHAIRMAN Niall Quinn feels some supporters are still “grieving” over the departure of former manager Roy Keane.

The Corkman resigned in December with Sunderland languishing in the Premier League relegation zone and was replaced by Ricky Sbragia.

Keane had led Sunderland to promotion to the top flight in 2007 and Quinn feels some in the city remain upset he is no longer at the club.

“We miss Roy,” Quinn said. “People here are still grieving that Roy is no longer here. The game is a shallower, lesser place – the Premier League especially – without him and I do think he will be back.

“Roy Keane in his pomp here – there was nothing better. He won the Championship and got in to the Premier League and for that he will always go down in folklore up here.

“You will hear nothing but good things from people in Sunderland about Roy Keane. I feel he will put his experience here at Sunderland to good use.”

Quinn also admits he is risking his reputation as a chairman by slashing season ticket prices at the Stadium of Light.

The former striker hopes the measure will ensure fans do not get priced out of going to games, claiming big crowds are more important than raking in as much money as possible.

“It is a risk. We have taken that choice for the team and supporters of the team and (have chosen) full houses as opposed to maintaining income levels. But I will stake my reputation on it.”

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger could be ready to hand new signing Andrey Arshavin his debut in tomorrow’s north London derby at Tottenham, and he declared Arsenal had nothing to hide over the Russian’s protracted transfer.

The move to land Wenger’s number one January target went right to the wire, with official confirmation of the deal being pushed through ahead of the deadline not coming until almost a day after the window had closed.

Reading manager Steve Coppell has labelled the whole saga “a sham”, after the matter was not, as had been expected, raised at Thursday’s meeting of the Premier League board.

Wenger, though, maintains all the correct procedures had been followed and revealed Arshavin may start at White Hart Lane.

“It was done in the last minute, but regularly. We have nothing to hide,” the French-born Arsenal manager said. “We just did the deal very late in the afternoon, sent it to the Premier League and they ratified it.

“Of course, we want everybody to question the deal. If the deal was not right we would have cancelled the transfer and accepted it. We have done nothing wrong.

“We were not the only one in this case. In every transfer window you have at least 10 or 15 clubs who have to wait until the next morning usually to get agreement from the Premier League.

“We just didn’t want to announce it as long as it wasn’t officially accepted.”

Arshavin is flying back from Russia after the formalities of obtaining a work permit were completed.

However, with the Russian domestic season having ended in November, Wenger indicated Arshavin may need some more time to adjust.

“I believe he is talented, intelligent and motivated. When you have these things together, you always have a chance to make an impact,” he said. “But you have to give him time as well. He is not fit at the moment because he had only 10 days preparation after a long break.”