WHEN ROY Keane announced on Thursday that he was stepping down as manager of Sunderland football club, it brought to an end another episode in a remarkable career that has captivated the sporting public over two decades. His decision to resign because of a poor run of results was typical of a man who has always been a maverick in the relentless and unforgiving world of professional football.
Arguments that Keane has shirked his responsibilities by walking away from the club when it finds itself in relegation trouble in the Premier League seem fatuous. Keane’s manic pursuit of excellence both as a player and a manager probably convinced the Corkman that there was a limit to how far he could take the club in the years ahead. However, the manner of Keane’s sudden departure will naturally reinforce doubts about his commitment to stay the distance when the going gets tough. But any fair assessment of his record as manager of Sunderland stands up to critical examination.
When he formed an unlikely alliance with former Republic of Ireland teammate and club chairman Niall Quinn in August 2006 Sunderland was in dire trouble at the bottom of the championship table. Keane brought about a stunning transformation which eventually led to promotion and a place in the most lucrative football league in the world.
Although the club went through a very bad spell early last season, Keane turned things around. But his attempts to build a more consistent side this season highlighted a serious weakness in his management approach – the ability to identify talent and buy wisely on the transfer market. In just over two years, he spent almost €90 million on players most experts consider to be average at best. His trait of quickly losing faith in players he signed displayed an impatience and immaturity that have been constant flaws in his make-up, both as a player and manager.
A self-confessed loner, Keane generates debate on an unprecedented scale for a sportsman. Although much of the controversy revolves around his decision to walk out of the Republic of Ireland squad in Saipan prior to the 2002 World Cup finals, his searing honesty in recent years about modern-day football and the hysteria that surrounds it have been both refreshing and provocative. In an era when personal accountability and responsibility are held up as virtues for leaders in all spheres, Keane lived by his convictions.
Anyway, that’s what men here think.