Roy Keane certain players will have no fear of Belgians

Sometimes, it seems, you just can't win with Roy Keane although losing isn't quite as traumatic experience as it once was. The 44 year-old is as unlikely as ever, one suspects, to "go with the flow," but he threatens to become the most kindly of contrarians if his Euro2016 encounters with the press are anything to go by.

Those foolish enough to sound as if they were writing Ireland’s chances off at these championships have been quickly put straight by Ireland’s assistant manager over the last few weeks but on Thursday a Belgian arrived and started talking about the way things had changed in the wake of the two teams’ respective first games. Keane seemed genuinely confused for a second then snapped out of it. “Are you trying to suggest we’re favourites,” we said with a hint of staged exasperation. “I think you’ve been drinking.”

A few minutes later the former Manchester United was riding to the defence of Marouane Fellaini, that most battered of targets in the extended fallout that has followed the departure of Alex Ferguson from Old Trafford.

"I like him," he says. "I thought the criticism he had when he went to United was a bit over the top. I think it was just because he came in at the last minute when David Moyes was there and fans were maybe quick to jump on his back. I saw him a few times live when United weren't great and thought he did okay. We saw him recently scoring some important goals but he seemed to be the scapegoat for the fans. If anything, they should have been criticising the experienced players at United who weren't helping him out or who weren't helping out the new manager. But that's another story."

United, his past there and, in particular, the circumstances of his departure, mean there is often another story with the Corkman but he does appear to be firmly focussed on, and enjoying, his role here with Ireland.

The Belgians present a major challenge and Martin O’Neill’s side still needs a win really if they are going to get out of the group but you get a small sense of how Keane provides quiet reassurance to the players behind the scenes that there really is nothing to actually fear from side still ranked number two in the world.

They are, he suggests, a good side but not a great side although he could not possibly say it any less like Eamon Dunphy might be saying it in your head right now. He is quiet and considered and respectful towards Ireland's next opponents and acknowledges their considerable potential while apparently confident, it seems, that they can be prevented from fulfilling it on Saturday.

“It’s strange how the Uefa and Fifa rankings pan out,” he says, “but when you walk onto the pitch you don’t think in terms of rankings, you just think of your own performance. We believe if we can play well there’s a good chance we can get a result; if we’re not at it there’s a good chance we’ll get beaten. I think I said exactly the same last week. Rankings? Trust me, over the next day or two we won’t be talking about rankings. (And) there won’t be any fear factor. It’s our job to make sure there’s not.”

Keane talks about the need to contain players like Eden Hazard insofar as Ireland can in very simple, straightforward ways, insisting that they will be happy enough to see him drop deep to get the ball but alert to the danger if he starts picking up possession 30 or 40 yards from the Irish goal.

“Whatever the criticism the guy’s had... he’d have a chance of getting in our team, I think,” he says. “We’ve got to keep an eye on him (but) the Italians defended pretty well the other day and we’ll have to defend as well. He’s a talented boy.”

So too, he says, is Wes Hoolahan, the 34 year-old who, he initially jokes when asked, caught his eye for the very first time at the Stade de France on Monday.

"No," he continues more seriously, "probably the last few years at Norwich when he had a bit of success and Paul Lambert was his manager. They had a couple of promotions on the spin. His name might have been mentioned to me before then, but no it was at Norwich under Paul at Norwich. He's a late developer, 33, 34 but it's brilliant; he's coming into a tournament and having a big impact. He's matured nicely but he's always been a talented boy. When Wes scored and played well, we're not sat on the sidelines scratching our heads. We know what he is capable of doing."

Whether he or Ireland can do it against a side drawn extensively from Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United and City is a tough one to call and depends to a large extent on whether the Belgians can get themselves going in Bordeaux in a way they struggled to against Italy in Lyon. But the players will feel no fear. If Roy tells them not to... sure, who would dare?