Source: Daily_Mail
Let's hope Ipswich have got deep pockets - Sportsmail's verdict on the £80m Sunderland transfer rec
Roy Keane's new employers had better get their chequebooks ready. The Irishman signed a whopping 39 players for about £80million in less than two-and-a-half seasons at Sunderland.[LNB]In his defence, Keane had to build three teams on Wearside. His first aim was to attract players to survive in the Championship, and then maintain an unexpected, premature and ultimately very successful push for promotion in the 2006-07 season.[LNB]Perhaps the rise to the Barclays Premier League came too early, but Keane needed new blood to survive, although he gambled on the likes of Kenwyne Jones, Kieran Richardson, Craig Gordon, Paul McShane and Greg Halford with mixed results, he achieved the goal with three points and three places to spare.[LNB] Sealing the deal: Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn (left) gave Keane plenty of support in transfer dealings[LNB]Last summer he took his spending to more than £80million by adding an entirely new squad, but has again suffered more misses than hits.[LNB]Sportsmail's Colin Young gives his verdict on Keane's dealings in the transfer market, awarding 'R' raspberry ratings or a '+' for his hits... [LNB]2006/7Liam Miller. Free. Manchester United. RRRRemains a regular in Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland squad but unable to hold down a spot under Keane and now on loan at QPR - and is no doubt pleased Keane chose Ipswich and not the Loftus Road club.[LNB] BREAKING NEWS: Tractor Roy - Keane replaces sacked Magilton in Portman Road hotseatRoy's story: The highs and lows of KeaneRoy Keane emerges as prime candidate to replace Jim Magilton after Ipswich sack boss for failing to secure play-off spot[LNB]Dwight Yorke. Free. Sydney FC. +A hit, but age denied him regular games. His intelligence means his head still has it, even in the Barclays Premier League, sadly the legs are going. [LNB] Hit and miss: Dwight Yorke (left) has done well at Sunderland, while Liam Miller has been an unsurprising flop at the Stadium of Light[LNB]Graham Kavanagh. £500,000. Wigan. ROne of Keane's best signings but that was as an excellent Championship player. Lengthy injury actually ruled him out of most of the promotion season and now at Carlisle after a successful audition on loan.[LNB]Stanislav Varga. Undisclosed. Celtic. RRRRPlayed with Keane at Celtic and another for the lower league but found out too many times at that level and not been seen since February last year.[LNB]David Connolly. £1.4m. Wigan. RRTop scorer in the Championship year but hip and hernia problems ruled him out of the top flight, if he would have been given a chance anyway. His injuries and wages have curtailed any possibility of moving on.[LNB]Ross Wallace. Undisclosed. Celtic. RLooked destined for Scotland recognition at one point, but bombed out at the end of last season and now on loan at Preston. Perhaps deserved a longer stint on Wearside.[LNB]Lewis Nyatanga. Loan. Derby. RRRWales international signed on loan for left-back cover in the Championship. Struggled for regular place and soon headed back to Derby.[LNB] Good but gone: Jonny Evans (No 4) is mobbed after scoring against Hull in 2007[LNB]Jonny Evans. Loan. Manchester United. + Had two loan spells from Manchester United, the Northern Ireland international is one of the most promising young defenders in the country and no surprise to Sunderland fans he has been nominated for PFA's young player of the season. Keane wanted to sign him permanently but he knew Evans has every chance of becoming a regular at Old Trafford.[LNB]Marton Fulop. £500,000. Tottenham. +Promising keeper at Spurs, international credentials with Hungary, on the verge of joining Stoke in the summer but deal fell through at the last minute and proved an able stand-in for Craig Gordon.[LNB]Carlos Edwards. £1.4m. Luton. +Injury-plagued 30-year-old with real ability who made an impact in the promotion run but has struggled with injuries and confidence. Who knows what the future holds.[LNB]Anthony Stokes. £2m. Arsenal. RRRKeane battled hard with Celtic, West Ham and Charlton for the Arsenal trainee who was a hit with 14 goals in 16 Scottish League games for Falkirk. The move appeared to go to his head, he is another of the Late Three, who showed alarming naivety in his infrequent appearances. Now on loan at Crystal Palace after a similar spell at Sheffield United - where he had a run-in with Kevin Blackwell.[LNB]Danny Simpson. Loan. Manchester United. + Steady full-back taken on loan from Manchester United by Keane who did his bit for the club in 2007, now a regular at Blackburn.[LNB]Stern John. Undisclosed. Coventry. RScored four crucial goals to take them up and used as part of the Kenwyne Jones deal which took him to Southampton but now on loan at Bristol City.[LNB][LNB][LNB] High point: Stern John celebrates scoring against Birmingham in August last year[LNB]2007/8Craig Gordon. £9m. Hearts. R/+A competent young keeper in Scotland with international experience and still remains a promising one who gains experience all the time. But worth £9m? Sadly not. Yet.[LNB]Paul McShane. £2.5m. West Brom. RWholehearted Ireland international defender but prone to mistakes and Keane ran out of patience midway through last season. Talks a good game though and did well on loan at Hull City before his return, but hardly played since.[LNB]Dickson Etuhu. £1.5m. Norwich. RRRLooked the business in the spoiling midfield role last season, but another who barely lasted after Christmas last year. Signed by Fulham for the same fee as Keane paid and done well under Roy Hodgson eventually.[LNB]Kieran Richardson. £5.5m. Manchester United. +Suffered a career-threatening injury and last season was a virtual right-off. Returned to the heart of Sunderland's midfield this term and sporadic but brilliant at times, as his derby winner against Newcastle demonstrated.[LNB]Michael Chopra. £5m. Cardiff. RLike it or not, a controversial signing, especially for £5m, just a year after leaving home-town club Newcastle for a tenth of that price after failing to make the side. 'Fox in the box' Keane called him and used him mainly as a winger. Currently on loan back at Cardiff.[LNB]Greg Halford. £2.5m. Reading. RRRRRKeane once said 'I look at players after a few days and think "nah, you're not for me".' Could he possibly have been referring to the Reading full-back who played just eight shambolic games. Reading could not believe their luck at that fee - as Wally Downes may have pointed out to Keane. Now on loan at Sheffield United.[LNB] Top of the flops: Greg Halford fails to stop another useless player - Liverpool's Andriy Voronin - from scoring[LNB]Roy O'Donovan. Undisclosed. Cork City. RRRGamble from Cork, but unlike Stephen Hunt and Kevin Doyle, did not exceed expectations. Keane tried to persevere but it just didn't happen for the striker who is now on loan at Blackpool after a similar spell at Dundee United. So unconvincing even Trapattoni hasn't picked him.[LNB]Russell Anderson. £1m. Aberdeen. RRRRScotland international defender with a decent reputation at Aberdeen, but played just one game as a Premier League substitute. Loan spells with Plymouth and Burnley ruined by injury.[LNB]Danny Higginbotham. £2.5m. Stoke. RAnother former Manchester United junior offered a chance at the top level by Keane. Up and down performer who lost his place to Jonny Evans last season before he was given back to Stoke where he is the regular and reliable left-back.[LNB]Kenwyne Jones. £6m. Southampton. +Without doubt Keane's best signing. Just don't mention it was by accident after Alan Smith, Mido and Darren Bent fell through. Last season's top scorer who is powerful and can lead the line brilliantly. Returned from career-threatening knee injury and has nine goals but his partnership with Djibril Cisse is sporadic. A £16 million offer from Spurs was turned down in January but if Harry Redknapp returns in the summer selling could be excellent business.[LNB]Ian Harte. Free. Levante. RRROffered a lifeline after Spain but just three starts to his name. A free transfer gamble which sadly just didn't work out for both sides.[LNB]Andrew Cole. Free. Portsmouth. RRRRA peculiar signing because he was never going to play and did not complete 90 minutes in his few appearances. Failed to score before heading to Burnley.[LNB]Phil Bardsley. £2m. Manchester United. +Looked steady last season and must have been bemused by Pascal Chimbonda's move to Wearside. A trier, which can't be said for some, who has returned to the side and been reliable again.[LNB] Raspberry Rade: Prica was a panic buy that went wrong[LNB] Rade Prica. £2m. FC Aalborg. RRRRRA panic buy last January. Got the winner against Birmingham but has never looked like a Premier League footballer. Handed the No 45 shirt, soon to be followed by a return ticket to Sweden.[LNB]Andy Reid. £4m. Charlton. +Helped keep the club up last season but in and out of the side this. Must have struggled to come to terms with Giovanni Trapattoni's ridiculous rejection from the Ireland squad but his case is not helped by failing to keep his place at Sunderland. Still the best passer and creative mind at the club.[LNB]Yves Mvoto-Mvoto. £300,000. Paris Saint-Germain. RRWho indeed? Lanky teenage defender signed from Paris Saint-Germain, occasional reserve player who has got nowhere near the first team squad.[LNB]2008/9Nick Colgan. Free. Ipswich. RSigned when Marton Fulop looked destined for Stoke, despite Gavin Ward and young Trevor Carson on the books, but never likely to play and now just another drain on the wage bill.[LNB]George McCartney. £4.5m. West Ham. +Keane needed a left-back and the Northern Ireland international fell into his lap, with his partner desperate to get back to the North East. Struggled with injuries, missed 21 games and Sunderland often lose when he is absent. [LNB]Anton Ferdinand. £8m. West Ham. +A steady and promising first season and if he remains focussed has the ability to be a future Sunderland captain and England international, but may benefit from an experienced centre-half beside him.[LNB] Looking good: Anton Ferdinand tussles with Craig Bellamy against his former club, West Ham[LNB]Pascal Chimbonda. Undisclosed. Tottenham. RRRHad trouble written all over him, but that did not put Keane off. All too predictably, time keeping was an issue and he moaned to the French press after he was left out by Keane. Countdown on his departure started soon afterwards and he was back at Spurs before you knew it.[LNB]Teemu Tainio. Undisclosed. Tottenham. +Injuries have not helped the Finland international settle at Sunderland, but few Tottenham fans will be surprised to see he spends most weekends on the bench or in the stands. Not a player who catches the eye but well liked by coaches for his no-nonsense approach.[LNB]Steed Malbranque. Undisclosed. Tottenham. +Completes the Tottenham trio and made the best impression with his tidy manner, precise passing and obvious ball-playing ability. Consequently popular with fans but his inconsistency is frustrating.[LNB]David Meyler. Undisclosed. Cork City. RYoung Cork midfielder signed on the recommendation of scouts Keane trusts, even though there are numerous promising midfielders in the academy, not least Jordan Henderson and Jack Colback. Done well for the reserves but yet to make the first team.[LNB][LNB][LNB] Standing out: Djibril Cisse has caught the eye with his haircuts as much as his potency in front of goal[LNB]Djibril Cisse. Loan. Marseille. +Shock summer signing on loan from Marseille which put the club on the map. Missed far more than the 10 he has scored which must have driven his manager mad, yet in a moment he can deliver brilliance unlike any other striker at the club. Uncertain future but will feel he has played his part to keep the club up.[LNB]David Healy. Undisclosed. Fulham. RRRidiculous signing. Keane had nine strikers on his books when he added the Northern Ireland international, 18 months after failing to persuade him to quit Leeds. Would never be able to re-discover his incredible international goalscoring from the bench and predictably that is where he has spent most of the season.[LNB]El-Hadji Diouf. £2.5m. Bolton. RRRAnother signing which was doomed from the start. Keane said he could handle him and then left. Diouf was not far behind him and hardly set the world alight at Blackburn.[LNB] BREAKING NEWS: Tractor Roy - Keane replaces sacked Magilton in Portman Road hotseatRoy's story: The highs and lows of KeaneRoy Keane emerges as prime candidate to replace Jim Magilton after Ipswich sack boss for failing to secure play-off spot[LNB] [LNB]
