Danny Higginbotham has praised Wearside boss Roy Keane for his calm response to current difficulties
Keane gets his point across - Higginbotham
Sunderland boss Roy Keane may have been known for his hot-headedness as a player, but he is just the opposite as a manager.
His calm approach has won the praise of Black Cats defender Danny Higginbotham, who says he does not need to "rant and rave" to get his point across.
Keane had every right to lose his cool following the embarrassing 7-1 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday, which saw the Irishman keep his players locked in the away dressing room.
But Keane got his points across in a constructive manner, which Higginbotham hopes they can take on board to enable them to move forward.
Character
Speaking of Keane, Higginbotham said: "He is a character who, when he speaks, you listen, because there is not much he has not seen in the football world. If he has got something to say, you know 100 per cent it is correct and you listen.
"He has not ranted and raved - sometimes as a manager you can rant and rave, but you do not get the point across.
"He gets his point across. The lads know he is not happy, but he is calm with things and for me, he is approaching it absolutely brilliantly.
"He gets his point across and the lads understand everything he is saying. It is up to us to listen to him and take it on board, and that will enable us to move forward."
Keane will want to see a positive reaction to the Goodison Park debacle when the Wearsiders take on Derby in a relegation six-pointer at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Positive
And Higginbotham, who has also played for the Rams in his career, wants to make a positive impression, saying: "If we respond positively come Saturday, which I am sure we will, it's something we can put behind us.
"We have all got to pull together as a group now and show a tough mentality and a character within the squad. I have no doubts we have the right mentality and the right characters within the squad to move on."
Meanwhile, reserve-team coach Kevin Richardson has left Sunderland following Ricky Sbragia's return as Keane continues to re-shape his staff.
Richardson originally joined the club as a youth-team coach in 2000 and then returned as reserve-team boss under Mick McCarthy in October 2004. He worked alongside caretaker Kevin Ball following McCarthy's departure as the 2005-06 season drew to a close.
