Tottenham 1-2 Sunderland: Roy Keane has his say on Berbatov saga

Roy Keane has told Tottenham to get rid of Dimitar Berbatov if they want to get on with their season.

And the Black Cats boss, who talks as tough as he used to tackle, says he would personally drive any disgruntled player from the Stadium of Light to their new club to stop any outbreak of player power.

Evidence to back his argument came as his Sunderland side deservedly earned their first league victory at White Hart Lane in 30 years after a solid team performance laced with individual skill.

But the feat was over shadowed by the Berbatov affair as the brooding Bulgarian was left out because he lacked focus - and Spurs lost again.

Keano admits he has not yet faced the scenario of a big four club seeking to steal one of his crown jewels.

But his attitude on and off the pitch suggests he would not stand for such nonsense.

The Irishman said: "I'm sure it's a difficult situation, but you've got to deal with difficult situations. It's got to be the manager who is the most powerful.

"If a player did not want to play for me, I know what I'd do - I'd drive him myself to wherever he wants to go just to get rid of him.

"I've said it before, no player is bigger than any club.

"Tottenham have lost today, but, long term, they might be best to do business. You've got to lose to win sometimes.

"I had a player two years ago, who I heard had been speaking to another club, and I just sold him. I wouldn't try too hard to talk a player out of moving."

But Keane could not hide his surprise that Champions League-chasing Spurs had got themselves into this mess after losing their other top striker Robbie Keane to Liverpool.

He said: "If you want to go places, you certainly try to hold on to your best players.

"But if you've got big ambitions, like Tottenham, someone once taught me 'no' is a sentence. Just say no."

Yet with Berbatov now effectively on strike, that point has passed and Spurs' best hope is to extract more money from Manchester United.

Keane added: "You still try to do the right bit of business for the football club.

"I don't me an you should lose money, but you lose the player and try to get the right deal for your club. Trust me, there are not many top strikers out there, so you hold out and, eventually, these big club shave to pay the money."

Keane's bluntness was in stark contrast to the attitude of Juande Ramos, the Spanish coach who walked out on his contract at Seville last season.

Ramos said: "It can't last any longer than a week because the transfer window closes on the 31st. Players go through physical fitness issues, good or bad and in this case it's psychological and we've just go to deal with it."

Really it should have been Spurs' sporting director Damien Comolli or chairman Daniel Levy, who handles their transfers, answering the questions about Berbatov.

But Spurs' lack of cohesion ran from the boardroom to the pitch in another poor display.

Ramos added: "Of course there are repercussions - today we were only able to play with one forward."

The summer signing policies of Keane and Ramos were also very different. While the Spaniard went for unproven promise, Keano sought tried and-tested Prem quality including El-Hadji Diouf and Steed Malbranque.

After flirting with the drop last season, Keane admitted: "We needed players who were a bit more street-wise."

Keane now hopes to seal a dealfor West Ham centre-back Anton Ferdinand, while Djibril Cisse made an instant impact.

Kieran Richardson's sweet 20-yard opener had been cancelled out by a Jermaine Jenas tap-in after 73 minutes.

But then the Lord of the Manor of Frodsham proved he is also the Lord of White Hart Lane - he scored there on his Liverpool debut four years' ago - by nodding home the 83rdminute winner.

And the Frenchman, 27, who is on loan from Marseille, insisted: "I have a big point to prove after Liverpool. I can do really well in the Premier League and I want to show the people I'm a good player. I want to do really good things.

"It suits the way I play. I'm made for England.

"I still have my house here, my wife is English and it was a good deal to come back here.

"I'm on loan but my aim is to sign a permanent deal with Sunderland."

In Diouf and Cisse the Black Cats' dressing room now has players as famous for their tantrums as their talents.

But Keane said: "It's part of my job and I can't shy away from people with different character traits.

"I was no angel, I don't mind that. If I had a dressing room full of angels I would be really, really concerned because you end up winning nothing.

"I played with good characters for tough managers and it's good, it's fine.

"I have no problem with my players. If they want to challenge me they will lose."

Tottenham: Gomes 6, Zokora 5, King 7, Woodgate 7, Assou-Ekotto 6 (Huddlestone 56,5), Modric 6, Lennon 5 (Giovanni 56,4), Jenas 6, Bentley 6, Bale d5, Bent 5.

Sunderland: Gordon 7, Bardsley 7, Nosworthy 8, Higginbotham 7, Collins 7, Malbranque d8, Whitehead 7, Reid 7 (Miller 87,3), Richardson 8 (Cisse 65,6), Diouf 8 Murphy 7.)

Referee: Mike Dean 7

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