Chopra chips in to boost Sunderland's survival bid

But Keane has tried to instil the values of discipline into his team. Last season, when Sunderland were charging up the Championship, he left three players behind who turned up late for the team bus.

Keane's side are now struggling but his consistency remains. The former Manchester United captain dropped four players nine days ago, railing at suggestions they were omitted for anything other than footballing reasons.

Three of them were back in his side at Villa Park on Saturday: Kieran Richardson made stand-in Villa right-back Craig Gardner's life a misery, Daryl Murphy was a handful and Michael Chopra grabbed the goal that handed Sunderland their first win at Villa Park since 1982.

Chopra admitted: "I was very disappointed last week to get left out.

"It's just the manager keeping the players on their toes. If you slack off a little bit you are going to get left out. The manager knows what's best."

Cardiff boss Dave Jones phoned Keane last week on the offchance that any perceived fall-out with the striker the Welsh club sold for £5million just eight months ago might be serious.

Keane said: "I admire Dave for chancing his arm. He fancied his chances. He got a very polite no."

The former Newcastle striker certainly has an eye for the spectacular, although four goals is scant return.

This was Villa's worst performance under Martin O'Neill. Only defenders Wilfred Bouma and Martin Laursen came out with any credit. Goalkeeper Scott Carson had been called up to the England squad but a swollen knee means he will be taken out of the firing line.

Keepers can be forgiven one mistake, but Carson's confidence is clearly at such a low ebb that no part of his game functioned properly.

His catching and punching were way off and almost led to two first-half goals. His kicking was little better and his decision-making was also highly suspect — Chopra admitted his surprise that Villa's man did not charge out at him.

O'Neill laudably prepared to take it all on his shoulders. "The big thing about good teams is that they win when they have played badly," he said.

"The crowd would have forgiven us if we had eked out a win. It's my job to get it right. I'll take the plaudits when we win. However, the team performs, it's down to me.

"Today has shown us we have a good distance to go. Maybe it has been a check for all of us. I expect better."