Sport

Keane admits he called team wrong for Everton trouncing

FA Premier League: Sunderland manager Roy Keane has taken full responsibility for his side's 7-1 mauling at Everton on Saturday…

Thu Nov 29 2007 - 00:00

FA Premier League:Sunderland manager Roy Keane has taken full responsibility for his side's 7-1 mauling at Everton on Saturday after admitting he picked the wrong team.

The 36-year-old said: "It was a difficult weekend for me. I am disappointed because performances over the last few weeks have not been too bad.

"To defend as poorly as we did was a major blow and we have got to react in a positive way.

"In defence of the players, I picked the wrong team. Even at 4-1 and 5-1 down, we were attacking and we left ourselves wide open, and I have to take full responsibility. That's what being a manager is about."

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Keane pitched skipper Dean Whitehead straight into battle after a three-month lay-off with a knee injury, while Dwight Yorke started his first game in seven weeks following a calf problem.

In addition, Dickson Etuhu was included after playing twice for Nigeria during the international break.

Keane said: "I probably called it wrong. I played Dwight in the middle of the park with Dickson.

"Dickson was on the back of two tough international matches and Dwight had been out for a month or more, so there's no doubt that I got the team selection wrong.

"We changed it at half-time but even then, we still encouraged the players to get forward. That's the way I like to play, but you cannot do it all the time.

"It's a learning curve for me like it is for everyone at the club, but you cannot keep losing football matches and so far this season, we have lost too many."

He knows his side must react when fellow strugglers Derby head for the Stadium of Light on Saturday, but admits they may have to be more conservative.

"In the games we have lost this season, we have encouraged the team to go forward, but in the Premier League against a good team like Everton, you cannot afford to leave yourself open at the back. As bad as we were, Everton took full advantage."

TONIGHT'S FIXTURES - (7.45 unless stated)

UEFA Cup: Group A:AZ v Larissa, Zenit St Petersburg v Nurnberg (4.00). Group B:Atletico Madrid v Aberdeen, Lokomotiv Moscow v FC Copenhagen (5.30). Group C: AEKAthens v Fiorentina (7.00), IF Elfsborg v Mlada Boleslav (5.15). Group D:Hamburg v Rennes (6.00), SK Brann v Dinamo Zagreb (7.15). Group E:FC Zurich v Toulouse (7.15), Sparta Prague v Spartak Moscow (5.30). Group F:Bolton v Aris Salonika (8.00), Braga v Bayern Munich (8.00). Group G:Getafe v Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Tottenham v Aalborg. Group H:Helsingborgs IF v FK Austria Magna (7.15), Panionios v Galatasaray (7.00).