Keane building a team to fear

IF recent history is anything to go by, Manchester City ought to enjoy a successful afternoon in the North-East on Sunday.

City have won on their last three visits to Sunderland and manager Mark Hughes will be looking for his side to build on Sunday’s 3-0 home Premier League victory over West Ham.

After losing 4-2 at Aston Villa in their opening league fixture, the pressure was on against the Hammers, but City delivered in style following the sending-off of West Ham’s Mark Noble.

City are likely to find it much tougher against a resurgent Black Cats team whose ambition has been underlined by the capture of nine new players during the summer.

Manager Roy Keane has strengthened most areas of his squad, which now numbers 50 professionals. It is hardly surprising, then, that he is trying to reduce its size.

Keane’s biggest outlay was this week’s £8m signing of West Ham central defender Anton Ferdinand.

Tottenham right back Pascal Chimbonda has further reinforced the back four, while midfield men Teemu Tainio and Steed Malbranque complete a trio of signings from Spurs.

But it is up front where Keane has been at his busiest after losing star striker Kenwyne Jones with a long-term injury.

Sunderland struggled for goals last season and Keane is determined there will be no repeat, hence the captures of Djibril Cisse on a year-long loan from Marseille, Bolton’s Senegalese star El-Hadji Diouf and David Healy from Fulham.

Cisse scored Sunderland’s match-winning goal at Tottenham last Saturday, while Healy got off the mark on his debut with an extra-time strike in the 2-1 midweek Carling Cup victory at Nottingham Forest.