Bad dreams come true?

9:49am Friday 21st November 2008

ABOUT 18 months ago, I had a dream about Roy Keane.

Now, I'm not one for dreaming about brooding Irishmen, not since that nightmare about Shane Macgowan a Christmas or two ago, but this dream stuck in the mind.

I woke up, gutted, demoralised, upset. For I dreamt that Keane had walked out on Sunderland, saying that he had taken the club "as far as he could" after winning promotion to the Premier League.

Of course, it was complete hokum. Keane was still around and I put my weird dream down to too much cheese.

But then, the whole situation reared its ugly head last Friday. I hadn't even had cheese, for Pete's sake, and the horrible, uneasy feeling came about me again. For rumours had surfaced that Keane had walked. Those were the words. Walked. Not 'walked the dog', he hadn't nicked off with Triggs for a sneaky trot around the foothills of Durham.

Nope, he had walked out on Sunderland and would not be in charge against Blackburn.

Setanta News, the bastions of good and proper journalism, hollered that Keane had not travelled with the squad to Blackburn. Well, it must be true, it has to be true.

A two-bit satellite station - which goes off your telly if there's a gust of wind - were reporting this as news. Saying that, if they told me it was Friday I would check my calendar just to make sure.

Despite the fact that there seemed to be no basis to this story, it gathered pace throughout the day, and now I was in doubt. Emails were fired off to people who knew these things. I received emails and phonecalls from people under the delusion that I knew these things.

The internet became my home, refreshing the reputable news sources, such as the BBC and Sky Sports. Nothing, no news. Keane was still in. But the doubt had set in, and all of the uneasiness I felt that midsummer's morning came back to me.

Despite the fact the story was nothing but rumours, peddled by irreputable media beavers (ahem) - it made me wonder what state we would be in if Keane had decided to throw in the towel and seek a quieter life in the company of Triggs and the countryside.

Last week I warned "careful what you wish for" - a corny payoff line, fitting no purpose other than to sign off my article on a enigmatic note.

I'm not sure how the fans who were calling for Keane's head would feel about his departure. Initial satisfaction, yes. But who is out there - who could come in? Sam Allardyce? David O'Leary? Alan Curbishley?

I'm not convinced any of those three, respected and decorated as they are, could bring the energy and the determination that Keane brings to the club.

I don't sit here to pay the man lip service every week, but this particular period of Sunderland's history is, in my opinion, the most exciting one for years.

Keane's done a good job. He's made mistakes, but he's learning. I'm prepared to give this man as long as he needs - if it brings an unheralded level of success to the club. I sincerely hope the rest of us do the same.

Saturday's win at Blackburn got a monkey off Keane's back. A great second half performance brought the points home, from a place that in recent years has been a bit of a bogey ground for us.

Saying that, a couple of years ago EVERY ground was a bogey ground.

An upcoming double header at home - West Ham on Sky on Sunday, then Bolton next week, should realistically yield six points.

Nine from nine is a good way to recover from the blip we have experienced. West Ham look like sitting ducks at the moment, their squad is weaker than the one that lost here last season whereas ours is much stronger - perversely due to two former Hammers joining us - so I'm confident of a win.

One day we'll look back on that blip and laugh, you know. But probably not just yet.