THE KING is dead. Long live the King. Pictures of Roy Keane have already been removed from selected walls inside the Stadium of Light where newly blank spaces presumably await adornment by portraits of his successor.
That man is unlikely to be Ricky Sbragia but all the indications are that Sunderland's caretaker manager is capable of presiding over the smoothest of interregnums.
A recurring theme of Keane's regular homilies was football's essentially cold and ruthless heart. His emotions are clearly well insulated by cynicism but even Sunderland's former manager may have been a little taken aback at just how enthusiastically everyone on Wearside is embracing life after his walk-out. While those fans who once serenaded him with choruses of "Keano" switched seamlessly to "the mighty Quinn" in homage to Sunderland's enduringly popular chairman, Niall Quinn, his former players performed in the gloriously relaxed manner of the newly liberated.
Andy Reid summed up the mood with a comment as subtly incisive as many of his passes. "Roy clearly felt it was time to go," he said. "And maybe he also felt it was time for us to be away from him."
Admittedly West Brom were woeful, with Gianni Zuiverloon and Abdoulaye Meite experiencing defensive shockers and even their normally uber calm manager, Tony Mowbray, losing his temper - unsurprising given they have now gone 10 matches without a victory - but Sunderland's players certainly seem to be responding to Sbragia.
Sbragia's deployment of the excellent but underused Teemu Tainio as a quasi-sweeper between defence and midfield proved inspired, as did his positioning of Reid, Sunderland's creative catalyst, in a tucked-in, left-sided role. When Reid dispatched a sumptuously curving, left-footed, far-post delivery Kenwyne Jones evaded Meite to head the opener.
West Brom struggled to contain the formidable amalgam of power and pace presented by Jones and Djibril Cisse and Jones soon added a second from close range before Reid dodged Zuiverloon to connect with Malbranque's cross and head the third.
Cisse's penalty following Roman Bednar's handball fully extinguished the contest.
Sunderland were due to refine their shortlist yesterday and Quinn hopes to speak to contenders this week but he now feels no urgency to rush someone into position before Christmas.
- Guardian Service
