Roy Keane has grudgingly admitted he is starting to enjoy management and has also stated that he has no regrets about becoming manager at the Stadium of Light.
The 35-year-old celebrates six months as Sunderland boss today having inspired a remarkable fightback which has put the Black Cats in with a genuine chance not only of winning automatic promotion back to the Premiership.
Keane, renowned for his commitment on the pitch, has maintained a remarkable calm off it.
However, he knows there is still work to be done despite the revolution which has taken place since he first bossed the club at Derby County on 9 September.
He said: 'You are never quite happy. A lot has changed from that day at Derby six months ago, but hopefully there have been a lot of positives.
'It is just the start of it. We are giving ourselves a chance.
'I have got a few more grey hairs, I know that. That is all part of the challenge, that is why I came here.
'I knew Sunderland would be a challenge and it is and one maybe I am starting to enjoy.
'Maybe at the end of the season if we go up, I can relax for a bit. But if we do get to the Premier League, you just want to keep going and keep improving the club.
'We have made progress and we will keep trying to do so. You are constantly on the go.
'After a win you can feel great, but straight away, you are thinking about what you could have done better and you are then focused on the next game.'
Sunderland had won only one of the six games they had played - and lost the other five - when Keane took charge.
A 2-1 win at Derby County was followed by a 3-0 victory at Leeds United, and although there have been ups and downs along the way, the Black Cats, boosted by the arrival of transfer-window signings Jonny Evans, Danny Simpson, Carlos Edwards, Stern John and Anthony Stokes, have gone into overdrive since the turn of the year.
Of the nine league games they have played in 2007, they have won seven and drawn the other two, and the points return of 23 from a possible 27 has catapulted them into fourth place.
They head for second-placed West Brom on Saturday just three points adrift of Tony Mowbray's side and ready for a big push in the remaining 11 games.
Keane said: 'The fans have been brilliant, they get behind us home and away.
'The players are giving 100%, they are working extra hard and I think our fans appreciate that.
'The fans always want more and it is my job to provide that, that is what we are trying to do.
'There is an added pressure here, even when you are not in Premier League.
'Sunderland fans are demanding that - but that is a nice type of pressure, I enjoy the challenge.
'I have no regrets about going into management or coming to Sunderland.'
