It is Roy Keane's contention that mental fortitude will be a crucial factor during the relegation run-in and to press home the point the Sunderland manager has encouraged his players to consult Bill Beswick, the sports psychologist.

Before his association with England under Steve McClaren, Beswick worked with Keane at Manchester United. There was a sceptical response when McClaren named Beswick as his assistant after he was appointed at Middlesbrough in 2001, but most clubs now embrace a form of psychology. Keane is a convert; Steve Smith, who won an Olympic bronze medal in the high jump in 1996, is now a motivational speaker and he, too, has visited the Sunderland training ground.

Keane believes that small margins and “fine lines” will determine which clubs avoid the clutches of the Coca-Cola Championship and his regular use of Beswick, who was invited to Old Trafford when McClaren was coaching there, can be viewed in that context. Far from being the touchline tyrant that many expected, the Irishman is developing into a thoughtful and innovative manager.

“Bill has been in once or twice and the high jumper Steve Smith has been in and given a talk about the mental side of the game as well,” Keane said. “We try different things on different occasions. We're always looking to bring in people who we think can help the players. Sometimes it's just a case of getting out of the box and thinking a bit differently to the others.

“I've been on lots of coaching courses, such as the Uefa Pro Licence, and they bring in people from different sports all the time to speak about the different challenges they face. I'm very open-minded about it all. Bill has been here once or twice and we've had one or two different types of people coming in.

“I generally think the players enjoyed it. We don't tie them into a seat and make them listen for an hour and a half - it's all very casual. Some people might want to see him one-to-one. Others don't and they don't see him again. There is nothing major involved. But I have always been open-minded - even as a player. You've got to try different things.

“We're all different and that's the beauty of it. Bill could tell someone he's the best player in the world and he would probably believe it, but someone else wouldn't. I spoke to him when I first got the job here at Sunderland on a casual basis only. It wasn't all psychological stuff: Bill's a human being as well. It's just having a conversation with someone.”

Keane is not beyond employing psychology himself. Last weekend he omitted four senior players from his first-team squad after what he perceived as slack training, while Liam Miller, the Ireland player, was placed on the transfer list because of his lateness. Both measures have had an effect and Keane emphasised that Miller has a future on Wearside.

“I've been pleased with Liam's response,” he said. “Liam's doing fine, although we'll have a better idea when we've seen him play for the reserves. But he's trained well, like the other lads who have been left out, and that's what you would expect.

“I'm finding different things out about different players. Any decent player will see it as some sort of challenge. It's a challenge to see whether or not they want to stay here and be part of the plans for the future and that's fantastic. Do I foresee Liam being a first-team contender? Yes.”

The same applies to Ross Wallace, the Scottish winger, who was informed that he could leave the club shortly before damaging knee ligaments in January. “Without a shadow of a doubt, Ross could still ensure that he has a future here at Sunderland,” Keane said. “Sometimes players just need a little challenge.”