Roy Keane

 

I've a feeling he's better suited to being a number 2 and can be a very effective one if he's harnessed properly like he is in the Irish set up.

 

O'Neill is no wilting violet and he really is the perfect mentor for Keane.

 

What's interesting about Keane is you'd get a false impression that he's a law onto himself and no one could tame him but I asked Alan McLoughlin a few years ago what Keane was like as a teammate and was surprised to hear that Keane really looked up to himself and Townsend in the team. Keane wouldn't pull any strops or try anything against them. The picture McLaughlin painted was Keane is actually  maybe not submissive but completely indebted/duty-bound to a certain type of authority figure like Clough wherea's I suppose he'd have seen McCarthy as a Charlton puppet so would have no respect for him as opposed to someone like Clough who was a law unto himself.

 

I think O'Neill has this power over Keane that he responds positively to and it has definitely benefitted the team. There's a steal about this workmanlike Ireland team that I've never seen even under Trap/McCarthy whereas we look more likely to score last minute goals then concede them, more likely to win in tough places than come out with a moral victory or 'heroic' draw.

I`d agree the only way I can see Keane managing in the EPL again is if he gets a Championship club promoted or he does a stellar job with a small L1 or Championship club.

 

Talking of hard men is it true Mick Kennedy of Portsmouth was banned/dropped by JC after that infamous tournament in Iceland?

Apparently the Czechs complained that he had elbowed one of their players in the mouth.

 

When JC went into the oppositions dressing room the lad had no teeth left in his mouth.

JC never picked him again although we did have Sheedy & Galvin back in the day.