Edwards hoping to avoid Keane's axe

Sep 26 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

ROY Keane is ready to sanction a loan exodus of his misfiring fringe men after the Carling Cup “shambles” earlier this week but Carlos Edwards, one of the players heavily linked with a temporary move, intends to stay at Sunderland and fight for his place.

The Black Cats manager was furious after his side plotted their faltering path into the final 16 on Tuesday and accused some of his squad players of failing to make the most of a rare opportunity to impress. With Keane hinting that some of the club’s home-grown young players may now have stolen a march on his recognised understudies, the way has been cleared for loan departures in the coming weeks.

While he was by no means the only guilty party, winger Edwards was hauled off at half-time after failing to make inroads into the Northampton defence, which added weight to the theory he will

be the first of many to depart. Sheffield Wednesday are understood to have expressed informal interest in the Trinidad & Tobago man but Edwards’ agent Mick Berry has indicated his client wants to stay at Sunderland and work hard for another chance to impress.

Of the Wednesday link, Berry says that nothing has been communicated to Edwards yet. “There’s nothing in it – I’m certainly not aware of any interest in Carlos or any attempts to take him,” he said.

Edwards was the catalyst for Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League in 2007, turning in some high-octane performances after Keane signed him from Luton during the January transfer window. But since then he has suffered a string of injuries that have seen him marginalised as an attacking force. A hamstring injury and a broken leg ripped away his chance to impress in Sunderland’s first season in the top flight and the signing of Steed Malbranque has pushed him down the pecking order this campaign.

While the situation may change if Wednesday make their interest official, Edwards’ determination to fight his way back into the squad may yet earn him a reprieve.

Keane is not averse to handing second chances to his players and the emergence of Danny Collins as player of the year last season – when the Sunderland manager had been prepared to off-load him earlier in the campaign – is evidence that all is not lost. The hugely-disappointing display against Northampton is being viewed as a watershed moment in the relationship between Keane and the Sunderland supporters, but the manager continues to enjoy the backing of most of the club’s fans; 3,000 of them will follow the Black Cats to Aston Villa tomorrow.

Likewise, Keane is not expected to walk out on a job where he enjoys unprecedented scope to mould the club in his vision. The manager is unlikely to temper his criticisms of the “idiotic” abuse he received on Tuesday, though, and supporters should not expect an apology to emerge from this morning’s pre-Villa Press conference.

Meanwhile, one of the players that Keane has sent out on loan – Russell Anderson – is returning to the Stadium of Light after suffering a cruciate ligament injury that has ruled him out for the season.

The Scotland international damaged his knee during Burnley’s Carling Cup victory over Fulham. It is a major blow for the defender, who was hoping to earn a move after being effectively frozen out of the first-team picture at Sunderland.