Keane Blames His Players for Sunderland's Agonies Away

Self-doubt was never one of Roy Keane's weaknesses as a player. As a manager, though, he could benefit from an occasional frank discussion with a hand-held mirror.

After this awful match Keane chose to blame his players for not only failing to score but for never looking likely to spoil David James' day - the Portsmouth goalkeeper had received an award beforehand to mark his 500th Premier League appearance, at Old Trafford last month.

But Sunderland have now lost a club-record 10 consecutive away matches in the Premier League, and have lost more away games this season - 12 - than any other side, so it might be time to question not the players but the man responsible for selecting them.

There was little sign of a mea culpa from Keane afterwards. He said: "We certainly have to do more going forward. It didn't matter who we were playing today, we would never have scored if we had played until midnight. I have to say I'm really disappointed with the players in terms of not believing they could get something. We cannot be victims all the time. It was far too easy for David James.

"We need to be a goals team and we were not that today. When you are at home and have 40,000 supporters roaring you on, sometimes that helps the players, but if you want to be a top player you need to handle it at home and away."

Sunderland play at Derby County next Saturday and if they fail to win there the game really is up for Keane and his players away from home. But Derby are so stricken that even a victory would scarcely convince Sunderland supporters that a corner has been turned. Meanwhile, the team are under intense pressure to maintain their respectable home record.

Here Sunderland played with only one man up. But even though Kenwyne Jones presents a physical challenge for most defenders, one goal in 16 matches suggests that he is in need of some support.

Sunderland's main aim was to stop Portsmouth playing. In this they succeeded. But Portsmouth, enjoying their best season in this league, should have found wittier responses to the dull questions being asked. They were disappointing too, at least until Nwankwo Kanu brought his delightful touch play to the last quarter.

Portsmouth won with a soft penalty in the 69th minute after Niko Kranjcar made the most of Phil Bardsley's outstretched boot. The scorer, Jermaine Defoe, said he had known that Sunderland would be well organized but that "we were the better side".

Portsmouth have missed four penalties this season and Defoe said they had been searching for someone to step up. "We got the penalty, the lads looked at me and that was it. I knew what I had to do."