Now Sunderland fans say Gordon’s the perfect tonic

Roy Keane was equally impressed with the one - handed reflex contortionist trick which kept Emmerson Boyce's close-range volley out of Gordon's charmed goal eight minutes from the end.

"Outstanding," said the Sunderland manager, who paid a British record for the Scotland international and then dropped him after the 7-0 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park.

This was Gordon's fourth consecutive clean sheet at home, even if it needed the woodwork to deny Wigan striker Emile Heskey and Kevin Kilbane.

Not since the opening day of the season have Sunderland fans really backed their goalkeeper so vocally, but they do appreciate their No 1s — as Jim Montgomery, Thomas Sorensen, Mart Poom and even Lionel Perez can testify.

But the boss missed the chants for Gordon even if he, like his keeper, stuck up his thumb as requested when Dickson Etuhu's header and Daryl Murphy's wonderful contender for goal of the season guided Sunderland to their seventh win and 16th place. Newcastle are just two points away now.

It is all part of Keane's way of keeping Gordon's feet firmly on the ground and it beats dropping the £9million signing for a few games to get his head and his game together. Understandably, Keane is pleased with Gordon' s reaction. He also approves of the new shaved head look.

"I think the haircut helps," said Keane, who was known to have the odd skinhead as a player with Manchester United.

"It suits him. It used to help me. I used to feel leaner, sharper, meaner. I might shave mine next week.

"If you want to be a top player you have to deal with disappointments. The top players in the world have disappointments and he will be a top player. That is why we got him."

Sunderland now have a twoweek break before attempting to win their first away game of the season at Portsmouth. Don't be surprised if Andy Reid's initiation to life under Keane comes on one of his many team-bonding exercises this week.

The Ireland midfielder is certain to endear himself to the Sunderland faithful with his array of fine passing — demonstrated within a minute of his arrival courtesy of a sublime pass to Murphy before the striker drilled the shot of his career on to the underside of Chris Kirkland's bar.

Reid gave up the captaincy at promotion chasing Charlton to return to the Barclays Premier League and is already tuned in to the manager's vision for the club.

Reid said: "Roy didn't need to sell the club to me, I know the size of the club and you know what Roy Keane is like, he's ambitious and he wants to achieve things.

"He's not going to be content with simply staying up every season. I haven't come here to be in a relegation dogfight every year. I've come here to kick on."

Wigan manager Steve Bruce must have seen the misses from Heskey, Kilbane and the rest of his team every time he closed his eyes on Saturday night.

But he is all to aware that they are going to be fighting until the last day of the season to stay in this division.

"Any team that goes six or seven games without a win can be sucked into it," said Bruce.

"Newcastle have got enough to win a few games, with the points they've got. They only have to win one or two games and they're clear, but you never know.

"We've got ourselves in the pack. I thought we were going to be cut adrift, but we've given ourselves a decent chance and I think we'll be OK."