Don't be nearly men, warns Sunderland boss Roy Keane

The 36-year-old is approaching 15 months as manager at the Stadium of Light having already experienced contrasting fortunes in recent weeks.

Promising performances have failed to yield the points the Black Cats felt they deserved, particularly in the 1-1 derby draw with Newcastle last time out.

Keane refuses to feel sorry for himself or his players, however, and believes progress is being made.

He said: "That's a road I don't want to go down, people talking about turning corners or, 'You are nearly a decent team.'

"Sometimes, that's the biggest gap to make. There are a lot of decent teams out there, but we want to be that extra bit decent and special, and that's the biggest step to take.

"Like I said last year, getting promoted, to me, was the easy part of this job; it is now about sustaining ourselves in the Premier League and trying to build the club, and I am very encouraged by what I see every day at the football club.

"There is progress being made on all fronts, whether it be the players, the staff I am working with, the scouts, people in the canteen - it is a great club to work for and I feel very fortunate.

"But of course, we need to get the results and I know over the next few weeks and months when we get our injured players back, and if we can add one or two experienced players in January and maybe one or two young players, I am sure we will be fine."

That process was due to continue today as skipper Dean Whitehead, 25, sought further match fitness ahead of Saturday's first-team trip to Everton.

Whitehead has been missing since suffering a knee ligament injury in training in August, but is close to a comeback after discovering surgery was not required to repair the damage.

Sunderland have not kept a clean sheet since the opening day victory over Tottenham, and as they currently average only a goal a game themselves in the league, that is proving a problem.

Asked how that lesson will be learnt, Keane said: "From games, from the lads gaining experience, from being punished for your mistakes.

"That is sometimes the hardest way to learn, and in the Premier League, it is certainly that.

"It just comes from games and the experience of playing at the top level against the top strikers."