The view from the dug-out: Keane's tribute to Cisse

Aug 24 2008 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

ROY KEANE paid tribute to Djibril Cisse after the Frenchman’s debut goal gave Sunderland a priceless win at Spurs.

On-loan Marseille frontman Cisse only signed 48 hours before scoring the goal that won yesterday’s game.

Keane said: “It’s a good start for Djibril.

“He only trained with us on Friday and we only got his registration through on Friday night which allowed him to play.

“I was always going to put him on the bench, but he gives us good options.

“He will challenge the other strikers at the club and it was great for me to look over my shoulder at the bench and see that I had someone to bring on who could give us something different.”

After losing the lead, Sunderland looked to be hanging on at times until Cisse’s intervention.

Keane said: “We gave a shocking goal away, but I thought Spurs probably deserved an equaliser at that point.

“At 1-1, I would have been happy with a point, but we stuck at it and I think we just about edged it overall.

“It says a lot about the character of my players. What I’ve said all along is that we needed a bit more quality and to be a bit more streetwise.

“And now we’re bringing in players who fit both categories.”

Keane says he may reward supersub Cisse for his heroics by handing him a start at Nottingham Forest in the Carling Cup on Wednesday.

“There is a good chance he will start at Forest,” he said.

Spurs boss Juande Ramos was left with a headache having lost his first two games of the season.

He said: “Of course it is not good to lose two games in a row.”