ROY KEANE feels that becoming a more mellow character has aided the fortunes of Sunderland during his 13 months in charge and it has also preserved his good health.

During his playing days, his confrontational and explosive ways ended with him being in hot water with the officials on numerous occasions, as highlighted by his 11 red cards during his time at Manchester United.

But Keane the manager has proven to be a much cooler cat. Rarely has he been seen remonstrating from the technical area with the men in the middle.

Today, when his former United team-mate Mark Hughes pays a visit to the Stadium of Light with Blackburn, it is likely to be the Welshman doing more of the jumping up and down on the line.

Keane, however, does not feel such actions are necessary and suggests altering his ways has been an integral part of adapting to life as a football manager.

"It's very hard to stay quiet on the touchline believe me," said Keane. "I made the decision at the start of the season that I would make a conscious effort not to be ranting and raving on the sidelines. It would probably have put me in an early grave.

"If I am going to lose my rag I want to do it in the privacy of our own dressing room. There is a logic to what I'm saying (about the early grave).

"If you're losing your rag on the sideline, especially with a decision over a throw-in on the halfway line it affects you. I'm not going to lose my rag over that. If I'm ranting and raving on the sideline then maybe I lose focus on the game and tend to focus on decisions that have gone against us."

Keane is convinced his approach is also having a positive effect on his playing staff, something he believes would not happen had he continued to berate officials.

It is not like the Irishman is knocking the managers who do, rather a belief that his playing staff would be too busy watching the dug-out instead of concentrating on their own performances.

"In a sense it's a waste of time," said Keane. "With some managers you don't know if they are losing it or it's just a habit they are in.

"Some managers are losing it all the time. I think the players like looking over and they can see we are not losing it. We can make our points in the dressing room and during the week in training."

He was not referring to Hughes, although Keane said: "For a 20-minute spell last Sunday, during Blackburn's defeat to Portsmouth, I thought Mark was the ball-boy. He was chasing balls, getting quick throw-ins."

The managerial counterparts' last season together at Old Trafford ended in the summer of 1995, after defeat in the FA Cup final to Everton.

And Keane makes no secret of the fact Hughes was not always one he would have expected to have moved so quickly into management.

"I had some good sessions with Mark - training sessions," said the Black Cats boss. "But the nature of football is such that when people move on you don't really keep in touch with them.

"I've had no contact with him whatsoever since he left Old Trafford. You never knew with Mark whether or not he would go into management because he was fairly quiet until he crossed that white line. He was a top player and I was grateful to have played with him and he's proving to be a top manager."

Having taken four points from their last two matches, Sunderland could climb into the top half of the table with a win on Wearside today.

That would give them some breathing space ahead of trips to Arsenal and West Ham, and Keane sees Blackburn as one of the teams his side should be looking to emulate this season.

"There are a few mini-tables going on in the Premier League, underneath the top four," said Keane. "Then there are teams like Blackburn who have done very well over the last few years and it gives everyone a bit of hope."

Sunderland were dealt another injury blow yesterday when centre-half Russell Anderson was ruled out for three months following ankle surgery.