Roy Keane - new assistant manager (CONFIRMED)

[berneboy]

Wiki - wotsit says this: 'Håland is often remembered for his feud with Roy Keane, whom he claimed wouldn't dare look him in the eye, adding "I really dislike United and I can't stand their players". He also caused controversy by posing in front of offensive anti-United graffiti.[3]
In September 1997, when Manchester United were losing 1–0 to Håland's Leeds United at Elland Road, Keane injured his anterior cruciate ligament trying to foul Håland. As Keane lay prone on the ground, Håland criticised Keane for an attempted foul and suggested that he was feigning injury to avoid punishment.[4] Keane was booked as he was stretchered off the field and was out of action for nearly a year afterwards.
In April 2001, Keane fouled Håland on his right knee, for which he was sent off. Of the incident, Håland said "I'm only glad my leg was off the ground, otherwise he would have done me a lot of damage", although some reports doubted whether it was even the worst tackle of the games played that day.[5] Initially, Keane was simply fined £5,000 and received a three-match ban. However, his biography admitted that it was an act of vengeance over Håland for the criticism he received three and a half years previously (although Keane claimed this was inaccurate paraphrasing from his ghost-writer).[6] After this revelation, Keane found himself subject to an FA inquiry and received an additional five game ban, and £150,000 fine.[7] Håland professes no lasting bitterness towards Keane, hoping only that Keane is different now so that he can provide a better example to young people and the players he manages.[8]'

[hilts_coolerking]

He thought Keane was feigning injury and was wrong about that, badly wrong, and Keane would be right to feel aggrieved about that. However, nurturing a grudge and a desire for vengeance for so many years, and exacting it with such savagery, over something someone said to you? And still being proud of it a decade and a half later? It's not just that a good man wouldn't do this - it's that a sane man wouldn't.

I think it's an overreaction to conclude that Roy Keane is insane.  Not a nice man, without doubt, but I think we're in danger of getting too precious here.

[Monty]

Hilts, if you're trying to claim that Keane's behaviour and repeated self-justifications in this instance lie anywhere other than outside the world of the mentally sound then, I have to say, I don't believe you. If you or I knew someone who bore grudges over trivial misunderstandings like this, or who still considered that insults to them deserved violent retribution years after the fact, and who continued to be proud of doing so a decade later, we would want them to get help.

Preciousness hardly enters into it - in fact, it's Keane's preciousness which leads to him bearing grudges like some tenth-rate mob boss. That autobiography is like the Watergate tapes with the mental cogency removed.

[Damo70]

He thought Keane was feigning injury and was wrong about that, badly wrong, and Keane would be right to feel aggrieved about that. However, nurturing a grudge and a desire for vengeance for so many years, and exacting it with such savagery, over something someone said to you? And still being proud of it a decade and a half later? It's not just that a good man wouldn't do this - it's that a sane man wouldn't.

Reminds me of Jack Charlton's black book.

That would make for an interesting read. Not as interesting as George Best's though.

[hilts_coolerking]

Hilts, if you're trying to claim that Keane's behaviour and repeated self-justifications in this instance lie anywhere other than outside the of the  mentally sound then, I have to say, I don't believe you. If you or I knew someone who bore grudges over trivial misunderstandings like this, or who still considered that insults to them deserved violent retribution years after the fact, and who continued to be proud of doing so a decade later, we would want them to get help.

Preciousness hardly enters into it - in fact, it's Keane's preciousness which leads to him bearing grudges like some tenth-rate mob boss. That autobiography is like the Watergate tapes with the mental cogency removed.

As I say, I think it's an overreaction.  We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

[Monty]

Fair enough. I don't say we're about to see him in a newspaper with the caption '...before turning the gun on himself' or anything, that would be an overreaction - he just seems unsound to me. But fair enough, we'll have to disagree.

[mr underhill]

he might well want to  blow his brains out after he's seen us train/play, though.

[dave.woodhall]

I wonder what people would think had he played twenty or thirty years earlier, with the likes of Nobby Stiles and Billy Bremner. Chances are they'd laugh and say the game needs more characters like that now.

[Diablo]

Not much I'd disagree with here...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/10948389/England-manager-Roy-Hodgsons-gamble-on-overrated-youth-at-the-World-Cup-backfired-badly-says-Roy-Keane.html

Also explains why he ditched the television punditry (as he thinks he could be potentially compromised with players he is working with).

[pauliewalnuts]

Re that Keane article, it he thinks England relied on too many young inexperienced players who aren't good enough, he's going to get a feeling of deja vu when he starts work with us tomorrow.

[Merv]

Keane 's tackle on Haaland was horrendous - vindictive and borne of malice. But has he really been bragging about it a decade and a half on, as in now? Back to the original incident, when Haaland was at Leeds - wasn't really just a misunderstanding. Haaland was taunting Keane as he lay on the turf with a ruptured cruciate ligament. Bad blood between the pair.

[Fasth56]

I wonder what people would think had he played twenty or thirty years earlier, with the likes of Nobby Stiles and Billy Bremner. Chances are they'd laugh and say the game needs more characters like that now.

It wasn't just Bremner for Leeds though it was all eleven of them even Clarke could dish it out. In an article I read at the time Leeds were getting beat by Crystal Palace and at half time as they were going off Hunter threatened to break the legs of the opposing centre forward.
It was the norm at that time though, every team had some one who would commit a tackle akin to attempted murder, Smith at Liverpool, Harris at Chelsea, Storey at Arsenal, Stiles at Manu to name a few. The likes of Keane and the reputed "hardman" Vinnie Jones wouldn't have lived with these guys.

[dave.woodhall]

I wonder what people would think had he played twenty or thirty years earlier, with the likes of Nobby Stiles and Billy Bremner. Chances are they'd laugh and say the game needs more characters like that now.

It wasn't just Bremner for Leeds though it was all eleven of them even Clarke could dish it out. In an article I read at the time Leeds were getting beat by Crystal Palace and at half time as they were going off Hunter threatened to break the legs of the opposing centre forward.
It was the norm at that time though, every team had some one who would commit a tackle akin to attempted murder, Smith at Liverpool, Harris at Chelsea, Storey at Arsenal, Stiles at Manu to name a few. The likes of Keane and the reputed "hardman" Vinnie Jones wouldn't have lived with these guys.

Which proves my point.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

I'd imagine the likes of Keane and even Vinnie Jones could have lived with those guys, as they are/were a hell of a lot fitter.  What's changed is that FIFA/UEFA/FA no longer allow GBH on the pitch without a sending off and a long ban.

Most of those 60s/70s hardmen wouldn't be able to live with the game as it is now.

[peter w]

I never get the 'they wouldn't have lived the real hard men of yesteryear' line. These people acted with impunity and were just kicking people. Wow, real hard men. And some times punched them too. Wow. It's them they wouldn't be able to survive today where players are protected and athleticism and professionalism are rewarded rather than thuggish chancers.