Defeat was a wake-up call - Keane

Keane wants to see an improvement next season

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has admitted his players needed the defeat at Bolton last weekend as an incentive to improve next season.

"If we had a good result at Bolton then we might have gone to the end of the season thinking 'We're nearly there'," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"The one or two good results we've had were covering the cracks.

"If I was a supporter out there I would be saying 'I've been patient for a long time'. We have to make changes."

Keane was vocal in his assessment of his team following the defeat at Bolton and is looking for his side to respond with a performance in Saturday's game with Arsenal.

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"The players owe me nothing, I always think the players owe themselves and the club," he said.

"The bottom line when they do go out is that they are playing for each other and playing for the supporters.

"I felt one or two of them let their own team-mates down last week and that's hard to take."

Meanwhile Keane has also opted to release four players who are out of contract at the end of the season.

Striker Andy Cole and defenders Stanislav Varga, Ian Harte and Stephen Wright will all depart when their deals expire in the summer.