BURNLEY boss Steve Cotterill last night hailed the promising start Roy Keane has made to his managerial career at Sunderland ahead of their Championship clash at Turf Moor.

Cotterill spent five ill-fated months on Wearside as assistant manager to Howard Wilkinson four seasons ago. The pair failed to halt Sunderland's poor start to the 2002-03 Premiership season and, after winning only two of 20 games in charge, the pair were sacked.

Cotterill is in no doubt that Keane will make the transition from player to manager with ease. He even offered some sympathy to the man who has to follow the legacy Keane will eventually leave behind.

"Roy has gone in there and he has obviously wanted to do a lot of sorting out," observed Cotterill. "He has let a lot of players go out on loan and he is making decisions on quite a few. And no doubt they will be strengthening in the transfer window and during Roy's first year there.

"A lot of the players he is letting go are not ones I remember anyway - apart from Stephen Wright, who is injured.

"There is no doubt Roy will do a good job if he carries on his managerial career like his playing career. He is going to be a tough act to follow."

Keane admits he only wants to recruit four or five players during next month's transfer window in a bid to boost the promotion push.

"I know that a lot of players have been mentioned in connection with Sunderland and I don't want to get involved in all that," said the Black Cats boss, looking to extend his unbeaten run to seven games tomorrow.

"I've not got a list of 20 or even ten players that I'll be considering next month. I've got a list of maybe four or five that I'm hoping to bring into the club.

"And if I don't get those players we've targeted, then I've got no intention of working my way down a big list."

The Irishman recently confirmed he was interested in bringing Arsenal striker Anthony Stokes, currently on loan at Falkirk, to the Stadium of Light.

"Anthony is a player we've looked at," admitted Keane. "He's done very well at Falkirk but we'll look to go through the right channels. If we can bring him to the club, then well and good but nothing is definite yet with any player.

"If we can get them in, then great but we've made no official approach for him just yet."

Keane added: "It has always been in the back of my mind that if we can't get those four or five players in that we want, then life will go on.

"We've got up to ten players coming back in January from loan and the current situation is that I'm quite happy with the players I've already got here.

"So if that's the way it's got to be - no-one coming in January - then so be it. But I do think we need to add to the squad one way or another and I'll be doing all I can to do that.

"In terms of the players we're looking at, the fact is that they're contracted to their clubs.

"But we'll try not to be held to ransom by anyone. We'll go through the right channels and of course if we can get the three or four in, that will be great."

* Southend boss Steve Tilson has signed a year's extension to his contract at Roots Hall.

Shrimpers chairman Ron Martin has taken the step to confirm his commitment to the current management team, despite their position at the foot of the Coca-Cola Championship.

The four teams directly above Southend - Hull, Leeds, Barnsley and QPR - have all parted company with their managers this season but Martin has bucked the trend by backing Tilson, who has guided them to back-to-back promotions since taking over in November 2003.