Sat 7th Nov - White Hart Lane
By Chris Burton Last updated: 1st October 2008
Keane: In complete control
Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn believes the club can fulfil Roy Keane's lofty managerial ambitions.
The Irishman has entered the final year of a three-year contract at the Stadium of Light, having helped establish the Black Cats as a top flight outfit during his time on Wearside.
He has always insisted that he remains relaxed about his future, but the situation has dominated the headlines surrounding the club of late.
However, Quinn has now revealed that, with a new two-year financial plan put in place, talks regarding a new deal have been opened with Keane's representatives.
"The media seem to be more agitated about that, and more worried about it, than I," he told Sky Sports News.
"We didn't approach Roy about the contract for the simple reason I wanted to get everything sorted behind the scenes, get the structure sorted and get a sound financial footing for the next couple of years.
"We have managed to do that over the last couple of months and it was only last Friday that I first contacted Roy's solicitor about making something that makes sense.
"I could tell Roy where the club is going and where we can support him. I think approaching him before that would not have been worthwhile.
"It's not a big thing, it's not about money here. It's about the direction the club is travelling in and the support we can offer in the future.
"I'm pleased to say that we now have a slick, intelligent business plan behind the scenes for the next two-and-a-half years and on Friday we started negotiations to bring Roy in on that."
A confidentiality agreement prevented Quinn from commenting on reports that the new two-year plan had been drawn up as a result of Irish-American businessman Ellis Short acquiring a 30 per cent stake in Drumaville, the consortium which owns the club.
However, the chairman did confirm that whatever happens behind the scenes Keane will remain in complete control of managerial duties.
"We won't put any restrictions on Roy. He is very aware of the power he has in bringing people to the club, and he will just get our backing to do that," Quinn added.
"He has appointed scouts in 13 countries since we came, which is a big change from where we were two and a bit years ago.
"Slowly but surely, every aspect of the club is going that way.
"He has got the power to appoint scouts, he has got the power to name and choose the players we go after.
"He is the manager in every sense of the word and the fact now that we have a two and a half-year business plan, it is the right and correct time to ask him to commit."
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 21st November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Sunderland vs Arsenal |
| Saturday 28th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Wigan vs Sunderland |
| Sunday 6th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Fulham vs Sunderland |
| Saturday 12th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Sunderland vs Portsmouth |
| Tuesday 15th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Sunderland vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 19th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Man City vs Sunderland |
| Saturday 26th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Sunderland vs Everton |
| Monday 28th December | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Blackburn vs Sunderland |
| Saturday 9th January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Sunderland vs Bolton |
| Saturday 16th January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Chelsea vs Sunderland |
| Wednesday 27th January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Everton vs Sunderland |
| Monday 1st February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Sunderland vs Stoke |
| Saturday 6th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Sunderland vs Wigan |
| Tuesday 9th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Portsmouth vs Sunderland |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Saturday 7th November | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Tottenham 2 - 0 Sunderland | |
| Saturday 31st October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Sunderland 2 - 2 West Ham | |
| Tuesday 27th October | |
| Carling Cup | |
| Sunderland 0 - 0 Aston Villa | |
| Saturday 24th October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Birmingham 2 - 1 Sunderland | |
| Saturday 17th October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Sunderland 1 - 0 Liverpool | |
| Saturday 3rd October | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man Utd 2 - 2 Sunderland | |
| Sunday 27th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Sunderland 5 - 2 Wolverhampton | |
| Tuesday 22nd September | |
| Carling Cup | |
| Sunderland 2 - 0 Birmingham | |
| Saturday 19th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Burnley 3 - 1 Sunderland | |
| Saturday 12th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Sunderland 4 - 1 Hull | |
| Saturday 29th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Stoke 1 - 0 Sunderland | |
| Monday 24th August | |
| Carling Cup | |
| Norwich 1 - 4 Sunderland | |
| Saturday 22nd August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Sunderland 2 - 1 Blackburn | |
| Tuesday 18th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Sunderland 1 - 3 Chelsea | |
| Saturday 15th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Bolton 0 - 1 Sunderland | |
| Saturday 8th August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| Hearts 1 - 1 Sunderland | |
| Wednesday 5th August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| Durham City 1 - 4 Sunderland | |
| Tuesday 4th August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| Peterborough 0 - 2 Sunderland | |
| Saturday 1st August | |
| Friendly Match | |
| Celtic 1 - 2 Sunderland | |
| Sunday 26th July | |
| Friendly Match | |
| Sunderland 2 - 0 Atletico Madrid | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Manchester City | 11 | 20 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 11 | 18 |
| 8 | Sunderland | 12 | 17 |
| 9 | Stoke City | 12 | 16 |
| 10 | Burnley | 12 | 16 |
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