A YEAR ago the names of David O'Leary, Alan Curbishley, Martin O'Neill and even Peter Reid were linked with the manager's job at the Stadium of Light.

Roy Keane had just retired from football after a short spell at Celtic and the former Manchester United skipper was still reviled on Wearside following his sending off for clashing with Jason McAteer in a league game in August 2002.

But he was the man Niall Quinn and his Drumaville consortium wanted to take charge, and when they were unable to get him, or anyone else for that matter, Quinn agreed to become manager.

Taking on both chairman and manager roles had turned out to be beyond even Quinn, and five games into the season Keane arrived.

A win at Derby started the ball rolling but it wasn't until the new year when Keane called in a few favours back at Old Trafford that he really started to turn Sunderland around.

The loan signings of Jonny Evans and Danny Simpson were crucial in their run from mid-table to the Championship title, and the £1.4m purchase of Carlos Edwards from Luton could prove his most astute piece of business.

A trophy in his first season in charge would surely be a reason to celebrate? Not according to Keane who ensured there would be no bus tour around the city because the job at Sunderland had only just begun.

This summer and the manager is starting to realise just what a massive job it really is.

Many of Keane's targets have politely said no and the bigname signings many hoped for have simply not arrived. He has shown his ruthless side by refusing to go cap in hand to players - notably pulling out of a deal for Preston's David Nugent after waiting five weeks for the striker to decide on whether to move to Wearside.

Instead he has brought in players with points to prove.

Michael Chopra managed just one Premier League goal at Newcastle, Kieran Richardson failed to dislodge Ryan Giggs from the Manchester United first team, and Greg Halford was bought by Reading in January and simply forgotten about.

The fear fans may have is how capable are these players of proving those points.

The pre-season has left many questions unanswered but by around 2.40pm tomorrow the 40,000 plus crowd will know a lot more about the squad Keane has assembled.

The likes of Paul McShane, Dickson Etuhu and Russell Anderson may not have believed they would be playing Premier League football just a matter of weeks ago but Keane believes they have enough about them to sieze their opportunities.

Last time round it was five straight defeats before Mick McCarthy's Black Cats picked up their first point.

With games at Birmingham and Wigan after Spurs, before the small matter of Liverpool at home and Manchester United away, Sunderland must ensure history doesn't repeat itself.

That is unlikely with Keane at the helm and by the time Reading visit on September 15 the Wearsiders should find themselves in mid-table.

Survival is a word that has been banned from the club.

Sunderland are in the Premier League to compete and if the players are not competing Keane will hastily remove them from the first-team picture.

His desire to build a squad at Sunderland will give him that option, and there will be no hiding place for anyone not giving their all this season.

McCarthy did not have that luxury with a threadbare squad meaning players - and there were many - who were finding the going in the top-flight tough simply had to get on with it.

Keane will wield the axe knowing he has the likes of Dwight Yorke, David Connolly and Liam Miller - players unlikely to make his first choice starting XI.

To succeed at the top, however, Sunderland need to reinvent themselves as a serious Premier League club and only then will the real star names be falling over themselves to sign.

That will take time but as long as they have Keane in charge then that goal is achievable.