But he says there's no reason why Sunderland – facing Liverpool at the Stadium of Light (5.30pm) – can't make as good a start to this season as they did to the last one, when Tottenham also started as heavy favourites but lost 1-0 to Michael Chopra's injury-time goal.

The Black Cats' boss is the first to acknowledge that the bookies will be backing Rafa Benitez's side to make a flying start, though he is determined to make sure they don't have it all their own way.

He said: "Of course, we have to accept that Liverpool are a top, top team.

"That goes without saying – their expectations are winning the Premiership and winning European cups.

"That's the level they're at. So they will still be big favourites, but I know our fans will be really up for it and we'll have a fighting chance, just like we did last year.

"It's again a bit like the Tottenham game at the beginning of last season when Tottenham were expected to be challenging for the top four and it never really happened.

"In the end, it was us who got the good start and the three points.

"I look back to when we playerd Liverpool at the Stadium of Light last year not long afterwards and we gave them a decent game, up until the 85th minute or so when they got their second goal.

"We were competitive that day and I want us to be as least at competitive as we were last year, but maybe have that bit of extra quality to cause them a few more problems."

As for Robbie Keane?

"Robbie scored his 100th goal for Tottenham against us at the end of last season," mused the Black Cats boss.

"It was one of those games we had that were very close and we thought we might have got something from it but we conceded after two minutes and then Robbie showed what he was all about by scoring right at the end.

"It was a bad goal for us to concede, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he's a good player.

"People talk about the investment we've made in the transfer market this summer.

"We've bought in four or five players. Liverpool have spent around the same figure on one player, so that just shows you what you are up against as you try to catch up.

"The bottom line is you have to pay for quality, particularly in the attacking positions, and obviously Robbie has proven over the years what very good player he is.

"We have to keep an eye on him. He's a top player.

"But we also have to see what we can do on the day to cause them problems."

The Liverpool game is a genuinely stern test for Sunderland, but it will not get any easier in the weeks that follow with matches at Tottenham and at home to Manchester City to follow.

It's something Keane is aware of but unfazed by.

He admitted: "The first three or four games for us are very difficult.

"But I keep saying you have to play these teams some time. And if you are going to catch them on the hop, then perhaps now is the time.

"These teams have got new faces, like ourselves, and they might take a few games to settle in.

"But we're really not going to worry too much about that.

"Listen, if you'd told us a couple of seasons ago that we would have played Tottenham the first day of last season and Liverpool the first day of this season, I think we'd have been happy with that, wouldn't we?"