Post by - on Nov 11, 2017 17:52:39 GMT
The most successful captain in United's history. As Fergie once described him, "the heartbeat of Manchester United", "the driving force, the inspiration, the best reader of the game, the best talker of the game, the biggest winner", "the most influential player in the dressing room". I needn't go on - every United supporter I've met who witnessed those times knows the leadership he gave to United as a player.
It was during the darkest days of Van Gaal, following the debacle of Moyes, that I began thinking (and I know I wasn't alone in this), wouldn't it be great if we had a character like Roy Keane in the dressing room? That set me on a path of thought which, although at first seemed crazy (we all know the history), I'm now convinced would benefit United: we should bring Roy Keane back.
So here it is...
"When I do move on I would like to see Roy Keane taking over.
"He is a leader on the pitch and he could be that kind of leader sitting on the United bench too."
~Alex Ferguson (6 months before Keane left United)
That's high praise from Ferguson – recognition of Roy's leadership ability to the extent that he could be a candidate to replace the great man even back then. Fergie wasn't alone in his observation: -
"It is important that he (Ferguson's successor) is somebody who knows how the club works, he needs to be very strong mentally and a strong person and Roy Keane is one of those."
~Eric Cantona
"To be Man United manager you need broad shoulders and take a lot of criticism. Roy has broad shoulders and he is mentally tough. Things don’t affect him. He has a poker face, doesn’t show if things are affecting him, and there is no reason why Roy couldn’t go back to Manchester United (as manager). He’s got a vast knowledge of football and he sets the highest standards."
~Paul Ince
"It would make sense to talk to Sir Alex and say 'we don't want you to retire but let's do a plan here and bring your successor in'. The successor could work with him for a year or even five years. That would bring continuity. I would think Mark Hughes or Roy Keane would be right."
~Peter Schmeichel
At this point you might be thinking, but wait, Fergie picked Moyes as his successor and look how that turned out!
The difference is Fergie likened Moyes to himself based on a shared background – playing together for Drumchapel FC in Glasgow, their fathers working for the same Govan shipbuilding yard, their Scottishness – it was borderline nepotism. On the other hand, Fergie likened Keane to himself based on their shared character. He said it more than once: -
"When I look at Roy Keane I often see myself, I equate this to his passion, desire and striving for perfection. He cares. He's a born winner."
~Alex Ferguson
"Roy has the wherewithal to be a top-class manager.
"Some people can’t make decisions. Roy can. He is a good decision maker. I spoke to him several times about being a manager and when he started to take his coaching badges I felt he was doing things in the right way.
"I always felt there was a bit of myself in Roy."
~Alex Ferguson (prior to United vs Sunderland)
And Keane agreed: -
"Me and Alex Ferguson, we had the same type of traits, of what Manchester United was about."
~Roy Keane
I wanted to compare their characters in more detail, to see if it really did match up, so I broke down the individual traits that I believe made Ferguson the manager he was: -
These are the most frequent descriptions of Ferguson I heard down the years from players, pundits, media and fans. I'm sure there's more that could be added but it gives a good overview of what Ferguson was about.
Following that, I wanted to know if Keane could really provide a match to each trait using the testimony of those who know him best. The following comes from those who worked with Keane at United, Sunderland, Ipswich, Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland: -
Hunger and a Winning Mentality
"Keaney, just similar to the manager in his desire and hunger."
~Ryan Giggs
"Without question his obsession with winning, the demands he put on other players and his desire to win football matches made him the most influential player in the dressing room, no question."
~Alex Ferguson
"Ferguson and Keane are kindred spirits, and what he saw in Keane, I think was something he had in himself, which was his hunger, his appetite, his complete and utter single-minded desire to win."
~Andrew Longmore, Senior Sports Writer, Sunday Times
Inspiration and Motivation
"He was the most influential presence in the dressing room in the time we worked together. Roy took a lot of the onus off me in making sure the dressing room was operating at a high level of motivation."
~Alex Ferguson
"There have probably been more talented footballers in his position, but no one could match him for overall effect. He was a great presence at United, a man who could lift everyone around him. Even when you thought you were giving 100 per cent, he would somehow squeeze another 10 out of you."
~Gary Neville
"Roy is a great leader and can cajole team-mates into better performances."
~Phil Neville
"He was the manager on the football pitch. If you did something wrong you knew about it. He tried to get the best out of everyone to get a result for his team."
~Paul Scholes
"There are not many players I've played with who have the passion that he has, and the drive. He was one of the reasons why we were so successful at Manchester United, because of his drive. He made us better players and better people."
~David Beckham
"He’d lead my team and inspire them."
~Eric Cantona (after naming Keane in his all time World XI)
"He (Keane) is the player that has the most influence in a dressing room that I have ever seen.
"I have been in many dressing rooms and with very important players but I remember reaching half time in games and it was only him that spoke, the one that made the speech.
"Sir Alex Ferguson was to one side and he (Keane) spoke. I am still profoundly affected by him."
~Gerard Pique
Control and Discipline
"If Roy Keane thought you weren't pulling your weight he would be right on top of you, straight away. Many players faced his wrath for committing that crime and there would be no place to hide from him. I never felt that was a bad aspect of his character."
~Alex Ferguson
"He would come down hard on me if I ever did anything wrong but he made me realise what it meant to be a Manchester United player. I can remember coming in from training one day and checking my mobile phone for text messages. Well, that was it. He absolutely hammered me, all the way into the gym. He was a great influence, really. If Roy had a go at you, he did it because he cared."
~Darren Fletcher
"But the really big thing Roy has done with the club is show the fans we had the right discipline and attitude … He signed three players in his first January transfer window and three weeks after that, they were late for the team bus for a game at Barnsley. Roy sent them home and played three youngsters instead. We won the game and everyone got the message."
~Niall Quinn, Sunderland Chairman
Fight and Aggression
"Yes, we get the hairdryer from time to time but only when we really deserve it. He tells it like it is but certainly doesn’t rant and rave just for the sake of it."
~David Norris, Ipswich
"I've been on the receiving end of a few of his dressing-room tantrums, but he only did that when it was deserved, when the team hadn't performed. And, much as he could really dish it out, he was always very quick to praise you when you did well."
~Jack Colback, Sunderland/Ipswich
"People look at him and think he is an angry manager, but he gets the best out of players. He got the best out of me."
~Danny Higginbotham, Sunderland
Respect and Fear
"I have a lot of respect for our old boss Roy.
"He was a nice man. He had a positive impact on every player at the club, he had an aura about him - he's Roy Keane!"
"Someone like that is always going to be missed. My game improved under him and it continues to – hopefully."
~Grant Leadbitter, Sunderland
"I think when he first came in everyone was a little bit on edge as you would be with Roy Keane. But as time has gone on he's fine to talk to. He's there for advice and he's a good coach. I think he's really enjoying it as well which is important."
~Seamus Coleman, Republic of Ireland
"He definitely comes across as being a little bit scarier on TV than he is in real life. Of course he doesn't come in singing and dancing in the morning! But he is a friendly man to speak to and very helpful if you have any questions."
~Eunan O'Kane, Republic of Ireland
Man-Management
"Off the field as a captain he was amazing, especially to us young lads. He’d look after us with contracts and things like that.
"He used to pick me up occasionally for training and take me home.
"He was a really great guy and I cannot thank him enough for everything he did for me."
~ Luke Chadwick
"He was hard on me but he was always fair. If he spoke to me 10 times, nine were compliments. If I was late, Roy would let me know. If my passing wasn't on in training then Roy would let me know.
"People remember the controversial stories and the times he went mental. But the rest of the time he made me feel on top of the world.
"What about the story where I've been out for two months and Roy says loudly, ‘I am glad this lad's back. We have missed him’. That's not a great story. It's a better story to say, ‘Remember that time Roy nailed Fletch in the dressing room for looking at his phone’.
"That did happen, yeah. But it was rare and that was just about standards. It was his way of getting a message to everybody. That is what it was like at United.
"I just watched Roy and learned, but above all of that I just liked him. I still like him."
~Darren Fletcher
"Throughout that season I was very upset and I put on a lot of weight and I got bigger. But just before the end Roy took me into his office and we had a massive conversation.
"He inspired me to go away in the summer and come back in better shape than I had ever been in. I went and played very well the following season.
"He gave me some strong words of encouragement to go and do that and I will always appreciate it.
"A lot of people don’t know him on a personal level but he definitely has that side to him."
~Kieran Richardson, Sunderland
"Roy brings huge qualities. Roy’s got stature. He goes around the changing room speaking to players individually, just a few quiet words here and there.
"If something has to be said, Roy will say it. He’s got a calmness when he speaks to you but people know he has that fire inside as well so, if you’re not doing something, he’ll tell you. And players sometimes need that as well."
"Roy has a humorous side people might not see at times. He has a soft side – although I’d agree you don’t see it that often – and he does like a joke at the odd time too. Roy definitely has a sense of humour, he’s very switched on, very clever. You mustn’t underestimate Roy Keane."
~Shay Given, Republic of Ireland
High Standards
"He (Keane) was our captain, he was our leader and he left a mark: where we are now is down to him, our dedication comes from the standards he set. The rules about time-keeping, about getting in a half-hour early, they were his instructions back in the day and those traditions continue."
~Darren Fletcher (four years after Keane's departure)
"He demands the standards of Manchester United and when people don't match those standards, he seems to have a problem."
~Jon Stead, Sunderland/Ipswich
"He demanded a lot from the players to give their all in training and hopefully that legacy will remain. He definitely came in and put it across that he wanted our standards to be high all the time."
~Alan Hutton, Aston Villa
"He's got some very high standards. It'll be a good boost to the team, because he demands excellence and I think he'll get it."
~Paul McShane, Republic of Ireland
Opportunities to Youth
"I have always said in the past, Roy has been a huge part of me getting my chance as a footballer.
"He gave me my debut at Sunderland and had a huge impact over my career. So I have got a lot of thanks to him for that.
"I can never really repay him for that, he started my career as a professional footballer, I learnt a lot from him while I was at Sunderland.
"To work under him was amazing."
~Jordan Henderson, Sunderland
"Roy did come down pretty hard on a few of the others at Ipswich, but he was great to me.
"He told me to believe in my ability and, having played in the same position, he taught me a few things about the game which are really helping now. He was very good at building my confidence up."
~Jack Colback, Sunderland/Ipswich
“To be honest, at the beginning, I didn't even think Roy would like me because of the type of player I am. On the first day of training, I didn't start the session that well and he tapped me on the shoulder after a half an hour.
“He said: 'Are you alright?' and I replied 'yeah'. And then he asked me: 'When do you start training then?'
“That put me under pressure straight away then. He was only bantering but I wondered was he being a little bit serious here. However, Roy's been brilliant for me and we now get on great."
“Every time I'm around the squad, he's flooded me with confidence and he's one of the main reasons for my success. So I thank Roy for all his help.”
~Jack Grealish, Aston Villa
Exciting/Attacking football
“On my first day of training, he gave me an absolute rollocking for playing an easy square ball instead of looking to do something positive.
“I saw that day why United were winners and why Roy was at the heart of it.”
~Rio Ferdinand
“I heard a lot about the Championship before coming to Sunderland. I heard there was a lot of long-ball stuff. However, it has been easy for me to settle at Sunderland and in this league because of the football we play.
“It is like the football I have been playing coming through the youths and reserves at United. The boss wants us to play good football and he believes we can kill teams off by doing that. You can see where some of his influences are. It is an enjoyable brand of football. It is exciting to be at this club.”
~Danny Simpson, Sunderland
"We won't be clever and play on the counter-attack, we'd like to be on the front foot, that suits us better, going for it and trying to get the right result."
~Roy Keane (on upcoming World Cup playoff)
The above testimony is not exhaustive yet it leaves no doubt that Keane shares those character traits of Ferguson to a large extent. From that I came to wonder, why aren't we looking at Keane?
I found I wasn't alone...
Van Gaal would consider Roy Keane as his assistant
Roy Keane should be Manchester United boss after Louis van Gaal
Roy Keane in running to replace Louis van Gaal as Manchester United boss
Four Reasons Why Roy Keane Should Be The Next Manchester United Manager
Roy Keane – The next United manager?
Last note – obviously I'm talking Keane up as a managerial candidate and personally I think with his experience he's more than capable. However, I think he could also provide a positive influence on the team in the role of assistant-manager, similar to how he's working at Republic of Ireland. The point is getting that Keane mentality back into the club.
We can cycle through the CV managers; the Van Gaals, Mourinhos, Ancelottis, steeped in the history of other clubs, who bring their own style, with no real loyalty to United beyond their paymasters. Yet, if our aim is ever a manager who could revive the club culture that existed under Ferguson, who could be a better candidate than Roy Keane?
It was during the darkest days of Van Gaal, following the debacle of Moyes, that I began thinking (and I know I wasn't alone in this), wouldn't it be great if we had a character like Roy Keane in the dressing room? That set me on a path of thought which, although at first seemed crazy (we all know the history), I'm now convinced would benefit United: we should bring Roy Keane back.
So here it is...
"When I do move on I would like to see Roy Keane taking over.
"He is a leader on the pitch and he could be that kind of leader sitting on the United bench too."
~Alex Ferguson (6 months before Keane left United)
That's high praise from Ferguson – recognition of Roy's leadership ability to the extent that he could be a candidate to replace the great man even back then. Fergie wasn't alone in his observation: -
"It is important that he (Ferguson's successor) is somebody who knows how the club works, he needs to be very strong mentally and a strong person and Roy Keane is one of those."
~Eric Cantona
"To be Man United manager you need broad shoulders and take a lot of criticism. Roy has broad shoulders and he is mentally tough. Things don’t affect him. He has a poker face, doesn’t show if things are affecting him, and there is no reason why Roy couldn’t go back to Manchester United (as manager). He’s got a vast knowledge of football and he sets the highest standards."
~Paul Ince
"It would make sense to talk to Sir Alex and say 'we don't want you to retire but let's do a plan here and bring your successor in'. The successor could work with him for a year or even five years. That would bring continuity. I would think Mark Hughes or Roy Keane would be right."
~Peter Schmeichel
At this point you might be thinking, but wait, Fergie picked Moyes as his successor and look how that turned out!
The difference is Fergie likened Moyes to himself based on a shared background – playing together for Drumchapel FC in Glasgow, their fathers working for the same Govan shipbuilding yard, their Scottishness – it was borderline nepotism. On the other hand, Fergie likened Keane to himself based on their shared character. He said it more than once: -
"When I look at Roy Keane I often see myself, I equate this to his passion, desire and striving for perfection. He cares. He's a born winner."
~Alex Ferguson
"Roy has the wherewithal to be a top-class manager.
"Some people can’t make decisions. Roy can. He is a good decision maker. I spoke to him several times about being a manager and when he started to take his coaching badges I felt he was doing things in the right way.
"I always felt there was a bit of myself in Roy."
~Alex Ferguson (prior to United vs Sunderland)
And Keane agreed: -
"Me and Alex Ferguson, we had the same type of traits, of what Manchester United was about."
~Roy Keane
I wanted to compare their characters in more detail, to see if it really did match up, so I broke down the individual traits that I believe made Ferguson the manager he was: -
- Hunger and Winning Mentality
- Inspiration and Motivation
- Control and Discipline
- Fight and Aggression
- Respect and Fear
- Man-Management
- High Standards
- Opportunities to Youth
- Exciting/Attacking football
Following that, I wanted to know if Keane could really provide a match to each trait using the testimony of those who know him best. The following comes from those who worked with Keane at United, Sunderland, Ipswich, Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland: -
Hunger and a Winning Mentality
"Keaney, just similar to the manager in his desire and hunger."
~Ryan Giggs
"Without question his obsession with winning, the demands he put on other players and his desire to win football matches made him the most influential player in the dressing room, no question."
~Alex Ferguson
"Ferguson and Keane are kindred spirits, and what he saw in Keane, I think was something he had in himself, which was his hunger, his appetite, his complete and utter single-minded desire to win."
~Andrew Longmore, Senior Sports Writer, Sunday Times
Inspiration and Motivation
"He was the most influential presence in the dressing room in the time we worked together. Roy took a lot of the onus off me in making sure the dressing room was operating at a high level of motivation."
~Alex Ferguson
"There have probably been more talented footballers in his position, but no one could match him for overall effect. He was a great presence at United, a man who could lift everyone around him. Even when you thought you were giving 100 per cent, he would somehow squeeze another 10 out of you."
~Gary Neville
"Roy is a great leader and can cajole team-mates into better performances."
~Phil Neville
"He was the manager on the football pitch. If you did something wrong you knew about it. He tried to get the best out of everyone to get a result for his team."
~Paul Scholes
"There are not many players I've played with who have the passion that he has, and the drive. He was one of the reasons why we were so successful at Manchester United, because of his drive. He made us better players and better people."
~David Beckham
"He’d lead my team and inspire them."
~Eric Cantona (after naming Keane in his all time World XI)
"He (Keane) is the player that has the most influence in a dressing room that I have ever seen.
"I have been in many dressing rooms and with very important players but I remember reaching half time in games and it was only him that spoke, the one that made the speech.
"Sir Alex Ferguson was to one side and he (Keane) spoke. I am still profoundly affected by him."
~Gerard Pique
Control and Discipline
"If Roy Keane thought you weren't pulling your weight he would be right on top of you, straight away. Many players faced his wrath for committing that crime and there would be no place to hide from him. I never felt that was a bad aspect of his character."
~Alex Ferguson
"He would come down hard on me if I ever did anything wrong but he made me realise what it meant to be a Manchester United player. I can remember coming in from training one day and checking my mobile phone for text messages. Well, that was it. He absolutely hammered me, all the way into the gym. He was a great influence, really. If Roy had a go at you, he did it because he cared."
~Darren Fletcher
"But the really big thing Roy has done with the club is show the fans we had the right discipline and attitude … He signed three players in his first January transfer window and three weeks after that, they were late for the team bus for a game at Barnsley. Roy sent them home and played three youngsters instead. We won the game and everyone got the message."
~Niall Quinn, Sunderland Chairman
Fight and Aggression
"Yes, we get the hairdryer from time to time but only when we really deserve it. He tells it like it is but certainly doesn’t rant and rave just for the sake of it."
~David Norris, Ipswich
"I've been on the receiving end of a few of his dressing-room tantrums, but he only did that when it was deserved, when the team hadn't performed. And, much as he could really dish it out, he was always very quick to praise you when you did well."
~Jack Colback, Sunderland/Ipswich
"People look at him and think he is an angry manager, but he gets the best out of players. He got the best out of me."
~Danny Higginbotham, Sunderland
Respect and Fear
"I have a lot of respect for our old boss Roy.
"He was a nice man. He had a positive impact on every player at the club, he had an aura about him - he's Roy Keane!"
"Someone like that is always going to be missed. My game improved under him and it continues to – hopefully."
~Grant Leadbitter, Sunderland
"I think when he first came in everyone was a little bit on edge as you would be with Roy Keane. But as time has gone on he's fine to talk to. He's there for advice and he's a good coach. I think he's really enjoying it as well which is important."
~Seamus Coleman, Republic of Ireland
"He definitely comes across as being a little bit scarier on TV than he is in real life. Of course he doesn't come in singing and dancing in the morning! But he is a friendly man to speak to and very helpful if you have any questions."
~Eunan O'Kane, Republic of Ireland
Man-Management
"Off the field as a captain he was amazing, especially to us young lads. He’d look after us with contracts and things like that.
"He used to pick me up occasionally for training and take me home.
"He was a really great guy and I cannot thank him enough for everything he did for me."
~ Luke Chadwick
"He was hard on me but he was always fair. If he spoke to me 10 times, nine were compliments. If I was late, Roy would let me know. If my passing wasn't on in training then Roy would let me know.
"People remember the controversial stories and the times he went mental. But the rest of the time he made me feel on top of the world.
"What about the story where I've been out for two months and Roy says loudly, ‘I am glad this lad's back. We have missed him’. That's not a great story. It's a better story to say, ‘Remember that time Roy nailed Fletch in the dressing room for looking at his phone’.
"That did happen, yeah. But it was rare and that was just about standards. It was his way of getting a message to everybody. That is what it was like at United.
"I just watched Roy and learned, but above all of that I just liked him. I still like him."
~Darren Fletcher
"Throughout that season I was very upset and I put on a lot of weight and I got bigger. But just before the end Roy took me into his office and we had a massive conversation.
"He inspired me to go away in the summer and come back in better shape than I had ever been in. I went and played very well the following season.
"He gave me some strong words of encouragement to go and do that and I will always appreciate it.
"A lot of people don’t know him on a personal level but he definitely has that side to him."
~Kieran Richardson, Sunderland
"Roy brings huge qualities. Roy’s got stature. He goes around the changing room speaking to players individually, just a few quiet words here and there.
"If something has to be said, Roy will say it. He’s got a calmness when he speaks to you but people know he has that fire inside as well so, if you’re not doing something, he’ll tell you. And players sometimes need that as well."
"Roy has a humorous side people might not see at times. He has a soft side – although I’d agree you don’t see it that often – and he does like a joke at the odd time too. Roy definitely has a sense of humour, he’s very switched on, very clever. You mustn’t underestimate Roy Keane."
~Shay Given, Republic of Ireland
High Standards
"He (Keane) was our captain, he was our leader and he left a mark: where we are now is down to him, our dedication comes from the standards he set. The rules about time-keeping, about getting in a half-hour early, they were his instructions back in the day and those traditions continue."
~Darren Fletcher (four years after Keane's departure)
"He demands the standards of Manchester United and when people don't match those standards, he seems to have a problem."
~Jon Stead, Sunderland/Ipswich
"He demanded a lot from the players to give their all in training and hopefully that legacy will remain. He definitely came in and put it across that he wanted our standards to be high all the time."
~Alan Hutton, Aston Villa
"He's got some very high standards. It'll be a good boost to the team, because he demands excellence and I think he'll get it."
~Paul McShane, Republic of Ireland
Opportunities to Youth
"I have always said in the past, Roy has been a huge part of me getting my chance as a footballer.
"He gave me my debut at Sunderland and had a huge impact over my career. So I have got a lot of thanks to him for that.
"I can never really repay him for that, he started my career as a professional footballer, I learnt a lot from him while I was at Sunderland.
"To work under him was amazing."
~Jordan Henderson, Sunderland
"Roy did come down pretty hard on a few of the others at Ipswich, but he was great to me.
"He told me to believe in my ability and, having played in the same position, he taught me a few things about the game which are really helping now. He was very good at building my confidence up."
~Jack Colback, Sunderland/Ipswich
“To be honest, at the beginning, I didn't even think Roy would like me because of the type of player I am. On the first day of training, I didn't start the session that well and he tapped me on the shoulder after a half an hour.
“He said: 'Are you alright?' and I replied 'yeah'. And then he asked me: 'When do you start training then?'
“That put me under pressure straight away then. He was only bantering but I wondered was he being a little bit serious here. However, Roy's been brilliant for me and we now get on great."
“Every time I'm around the squad, he's flooded me with confidence and he's one of the main reasons for my success. So I thank Roy for all his help.”
~Jack Grealish, Aston Villa
Exciting/Attacking football
“On my first day of training, he gave me an absolute rollocking for playing an easy square ball instead of looking to do something positive.
“I saw that day why United were winners and why Roy was at the heart of it.”
~Rio Ferdinand
“I heard a lot about the Championship before coming to Sunderland. I heard there was a lot of long-ball stuff. However, it has been easy for me to settle at Sunderland and in this league because of the football we play.
“It is like the football I have been playing coming through the youths and reserves at United. The boss wants us to play good football and he believes we can kill teams off by doing that. You can see where some of his influences are. It is an enjoyable brand of football. It is exciting to be at this club.”
~Danny Simpson, Sunderland
"We won't be clever and play on the counter-attack, we'd like to be on the front foot, that suits us better, going for it and trying to get the right result."
~Roy Keane (on upcoming World Cup playoff)
The above testimony is not exhaustive yet it leaves no doubt that Keane shares those character traits of Ferguson to a large extent. From that I came to wonder, why aren't we looking at Keane?
I found I wasn't alone...
Van Gaal would consider Roy Keane as his assistant
Roy Keane should be Manchester United boss after Louis van Gaal
Roy Keane in running to replace Louis van Gaal as Manchester United boss
Four Reasons Why Roy Keane Should Be The Next Manchester United Manager
Roy Keane – The next United manager?
Last note – obviously I'm talking Keane up as a managerial candidate and personally I think with his experience he's more than capable. However, I think he could also provide a positive influence on the team in the role of assistant-manager, similar to how he's working at Republic of Ireland. The point is getting that Keane mentality back into the club.
We can cycle through the CV managers; the Van Gaals, Mourinhos, Ancelottis, steeped in the history of other clubs, who bring their own style, with no real loyalty to United beyond their paymasters. Yet, if our aim is ever a manager who could revive the club culture that existed under Ferguson, who could be a better candidate than Roy Keane?
