ROY KEANE has spent the last nine months detaching himself from his Sunderland players, in the knowledge that the day would arrive when he had to be ruthless. That day has arrived.

The Sunderland manager, with a massive rebuilding programme on the agenda now that Premiership football has been guaranteed for next season, knows there will be a number of faces moved on this summer.

Both Tommy Miller and Kenny Cunningham, both out of contract, are the two obvious casualties but the changes are unlikely to stop there.

If takers can be found then Arnau Riera and William Mocquet - who have been unsuccessful during loan spells to other Football League clubs this season - will most certainly be following Miller and Cunningham.

And it would also be no surprise to hear that Keane is willing to listen to offers for a number of the players who actually took Sunderland to the top of the Championship.

The Irishman is destined to spend massively this summer, with at least eight new faces on his shopping list. Preston's David Nugent is thought to be among those.

But it is wielding the axe that has already affected Keane, who opted to distance himself from the playing staff from an early stage to ensure emotions would not get in the way of key decisions.

"It will be hard to decide which ones are not up to it but my job is to make sure we do well," said Keane. "All the lads have done fantastically well and we'll see how it pans out over the summer.

"I am detached from them. I sat with them in the canteen once and they regretted it more than me, that was one mistake when I took the job. I now know what my job is."

Keane knows a strong squad in the top-flight is essential if Sunderland are not in the Premiership to just make up the numbers. But the Black Cats boss, determined to lead Sunderland through exciting and successful times by bringing European football to the Stadium of Light on a regular basis, has already targeted former Manchester United team-mate Diego Forlan, now with Villarreal.

And Keane said: "I'd like to think I'm going to busy bringing in more players and, if some of the players here aren't happy and want to go, I would never stand in their way. If they don't want to leave but I'd rather move them on, it's a bit more difficult."

Sunderland are producing an exciting double DVD to celebrate the club's Championship title, and orders are already being taken for it.

The double DvD, priced just £14.99, can be ordered on the club's official website, safc.com, or by calling 0845 671 1973.

Manager Billy Davies insists Derby's season will not be a failure if they fail to clinch promotion to the Premiership via the play-offs.

County narrowly missed out on automatic promotion and now face sixth-placed Southampton over two legs in the play-off semi-finals to have a chance of joining Sunderland and Birmingham in the top flight next term.

He said: ''It is not the be-all and end-all. We will still have had a good season if we don't make it past Southampton or if we lose at Wembley to either Wolves or West Brom at the end of the month.

''Yes it would be disappointing but when you look at where we have come from and what we have achieved in such a short space of time, then this season has already been a success.

''It would be great to go that one step further.

''But if it is not to be then I will be very proud to have finished third in the league."