Sunderland boss Roy Keane has called for patience as he attempts to build a side capable of making a genuine impact in the Barclays Premier League.
Twelve new faces arrived at the Stadium of Light this summer as Keane continued a major overhaul of the club which handed him the chance to cut his teeth as a boss with a £35million-plus spending spree.
Both he and chairman Niall Quinn are confident in the face of claims they paid inflated prices for some of their acquisitions that their investment will prove astute over the years to come.
But Keane, who has been boosted by the news that skipper Dean Whitehead could return in November after initially being ruled out for six months with a knee ligament injury, believes only time will see his side gel and mature, and has warned the fans not to expect too much, too soon.
He said: 'I tend to focus on the performances. Obviously, the performances against Wigan and Luton were nowhere near what we hoped for, but against Birmingham and Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United, I don't think they were that bad.
'Of course, you are ultimately judged on your results, but I am maybe the opposite of that, I always tend to focus first and foremost on the performance.
'That was important, that the players showed that confidence and belief - and remember, I do believe it takes seven or eight games before teams are even up and running.
'We have a lot of new players, we have injuries, so we shouldn't be expecting too much, too soon.
'We have to be patient, but of course, most football fans are impatient. I'm not saying I'm the most patient person in the world, but that's something I have got to learn, that it takes a bit of time to try to gel and build a team, and any manager will tell you that.'
