Keane won't celebrate survival
by Toby Davis, 09 May 2008
Roy Keane insists he won’t be celebrating come the end of the campaign despite guiding Sunderland to Premier League safety in his first season managing in the top flight.
The Black Cats face high-flying Arsenal at The Stadium of Light on Sunday in their final game of the season having already secured their Premier League status.
But Keane, who famously refused to parade the Championship trophy through Sunderland last summer, is adamant that survival is no cause for celebration.
Keane said: "Staying in the Premier League - we are 15th at the moment and if we were to stay 15th, it shouldn't really be seen as being successful.
"Satisfied may be a better way of putting it, but not success. Hopefully success is just around the corner."
Keane picked up six Premier League winners' medals in his time as a player at Manchester United and the former Republic of Ireland international admits he is impatient to achieve success as a manager.
He added: "Yes, I am. We do have to be patient, but our supporters would probably say, 'we have been patient for 20, 25 years'. They have been fairly patient.
"I think this summer is a very important summer for the football club.
"We certainly need to go out and strengthen and bring in the right quality players to the club because we know we are not far away, believe it or not, from challenging the teams just above us.
"That's what we want to try to achieve next season because if we don't bring in the right players, we will be in a relegation battle next year, and I don't fancy being a manager every year fighting relegation.
"I am learning my trade, I appreciate that, and you are going to fight battles, like we did last year and this year.
"But I want more."