As Roy Keane prepares to take charge of his first Sunderland game today, Chief Football Writer Paul Fraser finds out that there is more to his managerial style than simply overseeing what happens on the pitch every Saturday.

THE confrontational and, at times, perplexing nature of Roy Keane has been replaced during the past couple of weeks by a more mellow, amiable manner. But one thing remains unchanged: his overwhelming will to win.

There was little surprise 12 days ago when the mere presence of Keane, on the verge of becoming the new Sunderland boss and watching from the stands, inspired a crop of players previously bereft of any confidence into performing like title contenders.

Since that Bank Holiday Monday afternoon, when three points were forthcoming against West Brom, Keane has been confirmed as the latest man to be charged with the responsibility of transforming the ailing club's fortunes.

Few knew what to expect; even fewer expected him to be so accommodating.

But, while that might change should results take a turn for the worse, his desire and hunger to succeed will remain.

He has been willing to talk honestly and at length about his plans, not just to benefit the playing and coaching staff, but everyone throughout the club.

Having played under two of the greatest managers of his generation, Brian Clough and Sir Alex Ferguson, he also knows what instilling the club's proud heritage into the squad members can do.

Keane, given time, will be overhauling the whole way the club is run.

And, as he is responsible for picking the players up for a matchday, one of the key aspects he will be changing will be the environment in which they work.

Today, at Pride Park, will be different, just as it will be when they travel to Leeds United on Wednesday, but when Leicester arrive on Wearside next Saturday there is likely to be a few design changes to the walls and corridors deep inside the Stadium of Light.

Keane, whose glittering career has heralded Premiership titles and a European Cup triumph, wants to imprint the importance of Sunderland's history into the players' minds as they approach games.

Over the coming weeks the multi-million pound Academy of Light, the club's training headquarters at Cleadon, will be decorated with memories of yesteryear.

The 1973 FA cup success, with scenes of the late Bob Stokoe running excitedly across the Wembley surface, is likely to have a heavy presence.

"I always knew there were good facilities up here by talking to people in the game," said Keane. "But you have to make it a good environment. It doesn't have to be the nicest building in the world but it has to be a football environment. You have to know you're at Sunderland.

"There are so many things I'm looking at right now, it's untrue. The building, as nice as it is, is a bit cold.

"Someone could drop you in here and you wouldn't know where you were. You wouldn't know you were at Sunderland Football Club. We're looking at all aspects of the club, so that people know what it's about.

"The canteen, who eats with who. I could sit here all day and tell you about the stuff we could do to make this a better place. It needs to be more Sunderland, it's as simple as that.

"You want to get pictures up of past players, past teams, whatever it might be. Different sports people that people look up to. It will take weeks, months. It's the same with the first-team dressing room, the tunnel area. We will be looking at all that."

The fanatical Sunderland supporters - more than 4,600 of them will be travelling to Derby today for a game which Keane insists is 'not about me' - will be delighted to hear the legendary former Manchester United skipper talk of the long-term.

He would not have taken any job and, after putting to bed old disagreements with chairman Niall Quinn, he is solely focused on turning Sunderland into a force to be reckoned.

"I feel an attachment to the club already," said Keane. "Putting on the gear, playing in a challenge game (on Thursday afternoon in which he claims to have missed a sitter at the back post because he 'wanted penalties'), getting ready and putting on the tracksuit have all helped me settle in.

"When I was thinking about the job, it just felt right and sometimes you have to follow your gut feeling. Even as a player, or in anything you do, you should do what feels right. This feels right.

"I have bought into it. It's an important aspect of any job. Speaking to the groundsman, to Niall, to everyone, you get a nice warm feeling.

"There has been a lot of disappointment here. The best thing that happened to the club last week was winning.

"Winning football matches is what it's about. You can talk about the ground, the beautiful training ground. But it's about getting results.

"When I was a player, if you got a bad result, it hit everyone at the football club. That's a great sign.

"If you win, everyone is on a high, from the chef to the cleaner to the groundsman. You speak to these people and they are big Sunderland fans. It means a hell of a lot to them. You have to plug into that."

Despite being jeered by the Sunderland fans after his sending off on his last appearance at the Stadium of Light as a player in 2002, he has always had a great affection for the passion of the club's fans.

It goes as far back as the late 80s, when he was a youth player at Nottingham Forest under the guidance of Clough, himself a Sunderland hero after scoring 54 goals in 61 appearances.

"Brian Clough used to talk about Sunderland. It was general chit-chat on the bus, him reminding us of how many goals he scored here. He was good, his record was," said Keane.

"You get it with a lot of managers, they like to remind you what good players they were.

"Hopefully I won't go down that road. You get it especially with strikers, they are quick to remind players of their goal records. Alex Ferguson was the same.

"He is all part of the history. The history of the club, the history of Brian Clough. I'm going to Derby on Saturday and Brian Clough was there, I was a Forest player. That happens in football. History surrounds different clubs and different managers.

"This is a new beginning for this club. But you never forget the past, never. You have to remember the history of the club, the great people involved in it, the great players. Hopefully the lads here will be remembered. I want that."

Since taking charge at Sunderland he has found that he has had to work the 24-hour days he was told he would. Nevertheless, he is enjoying it.

On the training field he has chosen to take a back-seat and monitor sessions, leaving his head coach, Tony Loughlan, and the rest of the staff to direct proceedings.

It is not something he has suddenly decided to do, more a progression that has been gradually developing inside him to make the step up from experienced player to first-time manager.

Taking the schoolteacher approach is something not lost on the players he has under his wing.

"We'd all seen the way Roy trained as a player and the standards he has," said midfielder Graham Kavanagh, a deadline-day signing from Wigan and likely to start today.

"He's a huge presence as a person and was awesome as a footballer.

"I'm sure those traits will come through as a manager. I'm looking forward to being in the dressing room and seeing what his team talk is like, but up to now when he addresses the group he's been very positive and clear.

"The players are all very impressed and when he speaks you listen."

Ross Wallace, a left-back cum left-winger who arrived from Celtic on deadline day, is also keen to make sure he is performing at his optimum best in fear of another Keane blast.

"I've been on the wrong end of a Roy Keane rollicking once or twice and I still decided to come here," said Wallace.

"But to be fair, if he does say something, it's going to be good for you. He wants to help you.

"When he does do it, it's positive criticism. He demands the best because he was world class for a decade.

"Obviously, he demands the best from everyone here to take the club back up."

It is that sort of expectancy from Keane that should ensure Sunderland are in safe hands from this point on.

Any deviation from that and you can't help but wonder whether Ireland's Mr Angry could return - there's a sense it might.