Sunderland boss Roy Keane slams own fans for Carling Cup abuse

Roy Keane has lashed out at Sunderland's moaning fans, insisting he will not tolerate abuse from the stands.

It's a stark warning that left some supporters fearing the Irishman will walk out on the club if he is targeted again.

He famously tore into Old Trafford's "prawn sandwich" brigade, and is now taking on what he calls the "idiots" at the Stadium of Light.

The outspoken Keane was incensed by the abuse directed at him as Sunderland needed two late goals to force extra time and penalties before squeezing past Northampton in the Carling Cup.

The Sunderland boss accepts he got his team selection wrong, but says the handful of supporters who targeted him when they were 2-0 down were out of order.

"I have no problems with fans expressing their opinions," he said. "But one or two had a go pretty much towards myself - and that's something I won't tolerate. That's something I've not come into the job to accept again.

"I appreciate criticism, constructive criticism, which I'm going to receive. Trust me, my biggest critic is myself.

"Yes, I got my team wrong, definitely. I should have gone with one or two younger players. But abuse like that is something I just won't tolerate. Listen, in football, everyone has short memories. There was some idiot about three or four weeks ago having a go and you remember these things.

"You shouldn't, because we've got some bloody brilliant supporters, but you always remember the idiots."

Keane also turned his fire on his flops in the dressing room and claimed some of them could be for the chop.

He felt badly let down by them after giving in to their calls to start on Tuesday night.

"There are big question marks over lots of people at this moment in time," he said.

"Certain players were given a chance and they threw it back in your face.

"One or two of them came to see me last week saying they need to play games. Well, there you go. Have a game, have a game at the stadium in front of all our supporters. Show me something.

"I don't think they will be coming to see me this week.

International players came in and there were internationals on the bench.

"You look at my starting 11, and it was definitely good enough to win that game."

Keane felt his players were complacent because they were playing League One opposition, even though he warned them not to expect an easy ride.

"We prepared as well as we could and gave them all the information," he added.

"But everyone thought we just had to turn up to win a game of football. My players certainly did, and I think our supporters did.

"From the start, they played at walking pace, nobody sprinting. Their passing was awful and no one was prepared to run off the ball.

"I take responsibility as manager, and I should have played one or two of the younger players. At least they would have run. I'll address it, don't worry."

Sunderland fans are playing a high-risk game if they continue to hurl abuse at Keane. And they voiced their concerns on website forums yesterday.

Martin McFadden, of the influential fanzine A Love Supreme, said: "He got a bit of personal abuse from seats that are normally reserved for players' guests.

"Other people were sitting there for the cup-tie and he could hear them.

"I understand what he said to the players was a lot more harsh. Keano gives everything 100 per cent and it really angers him to see people not giving the same.

"I don't know what was said to him, but the majority of the supporters were more worried about the team selection and the performance.

"I don't think he was criticising fans for booing - and there was a lot more than booing going on in the dressing room.

"You can't control the passion of football fans. That's what you want from supporters. If you are going to tell Sunderland fans to sit down and be quiet, you are sanitising football."

Trinidad and Tobago have avoided a full-scale row with Keane after omitting Kenwyne Jones from their squad for three internationals in seven days next month.

With Jones on his way back from injury, Keane feared the Soca Warriors would call up the striker before he had returned to action in the Premier League.

But Trinidad have named the Wearsiders pair Dwight Yorke and Carlos Edwards in their squad.

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