Keano to quit!

[green goblin]

Latest from BBC, Roy Keane says he'll quite when his contract expires in 18 months time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/4257537.stm

[tricky_colour]

You beat me to it.

[green goblin]

:o Too much time on my hands... :o

[GalwayFrancis]

Latest from BBC, Roy Keane says he'll quite when his contract expires in 18 months time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/4257537.stm

from manutd.com::

Keane Still Plans Summer 2006 Retirement

Roy Keane will bring a close to his Manchester United career when his
current contract expires in 18 months time.

The United skipper has been in tremendous form recently and admits
to feeling "physically fresh", fuelling rumours that he may extend his
stay at Old Trafford.

The 33-year-old Irishman insisted when he signed his current contract
that it would be his last, and says currently nothing has changed.

"When I signed this contract I believed that it would be my last playing
contract, and I still believe that will be the case," the Reds skipper told
us.

”I feel good in myself, I feel OK. We’ve probably got the balance right
this year with the manager, the medical side of things and missing the
odd game here and there.

"We’ve got a big squad so it’s only right everyone gets a game. The
games I have played in I have felt fresh and physically good.

"My hip feels good, and so do my knees. My left knee was sore over the
last week or two. Mentally, I’m always enjoying my football.

"With the few days’ rest I am having here and there, I do feel that bit
fresher going into games."

More to follow...

[NeilMcD]

So his last act as a player will be to lift the world Cup.

[Eire06]

So his last act as a player will be to lift the world Cup. :D :D

[NeilMcD]

LIft as in raise after we beat Brazil in the final in Berlin

[tricky_colour]

Well he seems to be assuming we will get to the world cup,
the retirement date seems to be just before the start of
the season which seemed a bit unusual to me, but maybe
not on second thoughts.

It would be a great way to sign out by lifting the world cup.
(I normally wake up at that point :) ).

[EireBadBoy]

KC - someone from the U21's you fancy?

Suppose he is a better Captain than Gary Breen who furnished us with more below par performance's than the laws of mathematics would allow.

I'm not a big Roy Keane lover although I do admit to thinking he is a good player and feel we should let him see out whatever duration of a Club/International career he has left.

There is always going to be the tarnished record from Saipan but let's forget it until Roy retires then we can all let rip, no need to keep the debate going when it is for the greater good to have him in the team.

[Cowboy]

Well he seems to be assuming we will get to the world cup,


yes of course he is , whats the point of going if you dont intend to win it

[dublinred]

Assuming he doesn't have a falling out at the training camp beforehand.

[Cowboy]

Assuming he doesn't have a falling out at the training camp beforehand.

thats very positive, sounds like you would almost wish for this to happen

[Cosmo]

'Assuming he doesn't have a falling out at the training camp beforehand.'

Gobs_-_e, well assuming we treat the World Cup in a professional manner and arrange proper training facilities and arrange to have the squads training gear sent over to germany in time for the World Cup in order to help us win it we should be alright :rolleyes:

Thankfully we know Kerr wont make the mistakes a former manager did - a proper pro is Kerr it seems looking from the outside in. Seems to have a good attention to deail.

Oh yeah, all providing we get there of course - still some very tough matches ahead of us yet ;)

[martin_rules_ie]

^^^

well said cosmo.
roy will be crucial to getting us to the world cup (like last time! selective memories people!!) as said before kerr will do things in a professional manner. at present we are seen as one of the more prominent forces in european football (we have the results to show it) and therefore the squad should be looked after in a professional way like our european counterparts.
the negativity from some people in relation to keano is down-right stupidity. ya lets bash our most influencial player. typical irish attitude, knock your own.. :rolleyes:

[Superhoops]

.....the negativity from some people in relation to keano is down-right stupidity. ya lets bash our most influencial player. typical irish attitude, knock your own..
You Cork boys really do have short and selective memories where this guy is concerned.

Keane has been our most influencial player all right, but as much negatively as positively. Players can only be postively influencial when they are out on the field. Don't remember him being too positively influencial in 2002 WC finals. Don't remember him being too positively influencial last Wednesday against Portugal, due to a knee injury! Not surprisingly there didn't seem to be much wrong with his knee today, but pandering to the Mancs has always been far more important to Roy than playing for lreland.

I don't hear many people 'bashing' or 'knocking' the likes of Givens, Cunningham and Duff. Did you ever wonder why?

If being negative in relation to Roy Keane and his commitment to playing for Ireland is stupid, then until I'm proved wrong, I am happy to be stupid.

[1MickCollins]

You Cork boys really do have short and selective memories where this guy is concerned.

Keane has been our most influencial player all right, but as much negatively as positively. Players can only be postively influencial when they are out on the field. Don't remember him being too positively influencial in 2002 WC finals. Don't remember him being too positively influencial last Wednesday against Portugal, due to a knee injury! Not surprisingly there didn't seem to be much wrong with his knee today, but pandering to the Mancs has always been far more important to Roy than playing for lreland.

I don't hear many people 'bashing' or 'knocking' the likes of Givens, Cunningham and Duff. Did you ever wonder why?

If being negative in relation to Roy Keane and his commitment to playing for Ireland is stupid, then until I'm proved wrong, I am happy to be stupid.

Seems like you have an infantile and irrational dislike of all things Cork, even your location says "Not Cork (thank God").

Grow up kid and stop being a dick.

[martin_rules_ie]

you say that roy 'panders' to the mancs ya?? i'd rather to them than some t.o.s.s.e.r from yorkshire. mick let personal vendettas get in the way of preperations for a world cup. not only that but how many people on this board whine and b.i.tch about the FAI!? roy wasnt going to put up with sub-standard facilities and poor treatment to the players. people moan about the amateur attitude of the FAI. roy simply brings it to the attention of his manager and what happpens, micky boy interrogates him in front of the old guard (quinn, staunton and co.)
things have changed with the national side now. down to who initially.. ROY!
given, duff, cunningham. they don't get stick u no y?
cos roy has been at the top4years wit manu- ABUs and the cork culchie brigade love knockin a man for being passionate and sometimes outspoken
roy has his rough edges granted but he wouldnt still be performing at such a high level at his age if he wasn't so passionate
and not all us cork lads have time for roy.. as they say knock your own.. :rolleyes:

and at his age (with his hips and knees) i'd rather he play games for points than meaningless friendlies. roy has a positive influence on the squad, thats a well documented fact. roy was a key factor in getting us to WC2002 and he will be again in getting us to WC2006 :ball:

i no this post is gonna be scrutinised to the last but really i don't care, its just my opinion. :cool:

[martin_rules_ie]

Grow up kid and stop being a dick.
my sentiments exactly.
bet he even has a 'cork culchie brigade' membership card!!

clown

[tricky_colour]

I think (some) people should remember that Roy did not quit the world
cup, Mick sent him home!!!

Mick sent home his best player because he didn't think he showed him
enough respect.

It goes back a long way.

Mick (when Roy turns up late or drunk or something on the coach):
"Call yourself a professional footballer?"

Roy: "Call what you have got a first touch?"

Well there are few who would doubt Roys professionalism and commitment
when it comes to football, but there some who might doubt Micks
professionalism when it comes to World Cup preperation.

Square that circle you Keano knockers!!

And to the people who say Roy should cripple himself playing meaningless
friendlies I think you need get your priorities right!. :rolleyes:

[Closed Account 2]

Dont really like going over old ground, but is it not obvious that both McCarthy and Keane were at fault in Saipan.

The facilities were a disgrace, and Mick should have demanded more off the FAI - having to go via Amsterdam and then Tokyo (or where ever the change was in Japan) was disgrace, as was the fact the players went economy. And if the rumours that the FAI big-wigs went business/1st class are true then its even worse - its these gravy-train blazers who should be going steerage class, not the players. Almost of this is the direct fault of the FAI but it had been happening for a while, Mick had a duty to his players - he should have (and for all we know might have) asked the FAI to put the players travel first; and if this didnt/hadnt worked he should have publicly on the record complained himself via the media or whoever. None of us will ever know the exact ins and outs of the arguement in Saipan, if it was engineered or just happend or whatever. But Mick should have know Keane was a volatile player and any sort of public (ie in front of the squad) debate/argument with Roy in front of the team always had the potential to turn out the way it did.

Keane could have kept quiet till after the WC. Other experienced players like Quinn, Staunton, Alan and Gary Kelly, were probably as dismayed over the lack of facilities in Saipan. They had all been to World Cups before with Ireland and they clearly knew that the training facilities in Saipan were a joke. But they obviously took the view that complaining was going to achieve nothing at that stage, and it was better to wait till it was over. Quinn said afterwards that he pretty much agreed with Roy's points over Saipan, but felt it was in appropriate to bring it up during the WC Campaign. What Roy said to Mick, and the way he said it, was unprofessional. He may be passionate etc, but when he called him a ****** etc (esp. in public) it was always going to mean either him or Mick would have to go - and in that situation the manager is always the one that stays. Another thing I'd say is why didnt Roy come back after Mick left (after the 2 games for Euro 2004)., ie once Kerr was in charge. If he'd come back for our games vs Albania away, Russia home and the Swiss away he might have made the difference and if we'd won all them we would have been at Euro 2004. Given Greece won that, I think we could have gone far. [i](Im assuming he wasnt injured at the time, if he was out for those games then fair enough).

Ultimately both Roy and Mick put their own egos ahead of the team, they let themselves down, and let the country down.

[Green Tribe]

hear hear davros, i will not miss roy keane, even though he is a good player, i think he is an arrogant nasty person. i hate his attitude and he is a horrible ambassador for ireland.

[Superhoops]

...its just my opinion....
Life is about opinions. we are all entitled to our own!

[martin_rules_ie]

Life is about opinions. we are all entitled to our own!

which is fair enough, i understand that.
but, my opinion is that your opinion is fuelled by your anti-cork attitude and/or black and white perspetive of things...

[martin_rules_ie]

...i think he is an arrogant nasty person. i hate his attitude and he is a horrible ambassador for ireland...

how is he arrogant?
how is he nasty?
what attitude are you talking about? the determined motivating professional attitude which still has him captain at one of the biggest clubs in world football?
horrible embassador :confused: ?? eh... what? captain of man utd, endless work for charity, very quiet character off the field, he has won it all and on the pitch recieves praise from every pundit, player, ex-player and manager as a world-class midfielder. ya i bet every national team in europe must think to themselves: 'roy keane. horrible ambassador for ireland! :rolleyes: )

[Cosmo]

'and he is a horrible ambassador for ireland.'

I think there are a number of charities that will disagree with ye on that one but sure what do they know :rolleyes:

[martin_rules_ie]

dont u just love misinformed muppets...!! i'm not pointing any fingers though :D
kerr's tribe, you are talking rubbish

[martin_rules_ie]

With that sort of 'clannish' parochial attitude :rolleyes: it's hardly a surprise!
mickcollins was simply making the point that superhoops comments were more to do with a dislike of cork than something relating to football. i for one agree with him but that is nothing to do with a clannish parochial attitude.
by your logic, its ok to talk bulls.hit because he dislikes cork?? ..fair enuf??.. :confused:

[tiktok]

In 18 months we may not want him, he may not be good enough anymore, I think he wanted to retire at the top, so end of next season makes sense for him. At that stage Reid, Miller, O'Shea, McGeady will be more experienced, Kilbane and Duff will hopefully still be playing as they are and we might see Delap and a few youngsters being introduced.

As for Saipan, the people who left us down there were those who didn't stand up and tell BOTH McCarthy and Keane to stop behaving like children, put it aside for four weeks, and then quit/retire then. They needed their heads knocked together.

Having said that, McCarthy was much more in the wrong ;) :D

I think he walks onto any all time Irish XI. Good enough for me.

[martin_rules_ie]

...Having said that, McCarthy was much more in the wrong ;) :D

I think he walks onto any all time Irish XI. Good enough for me.

gwen stefani's not the only on who loves ya!! :D well put

[tiktok]

As opposed to 'walks out of...'... ;)

Worthy of Hal Roache :D :D :D

[Peadar]

What's changed?


We now have a decent manager.

[martin_rules_ie]

What's changed?

For you, conor my love ;) :

Keane Was Dead Right Admit Ireland
Roy Keane's criticisms of Ireland's World Cup preparations look set to be the catalyst for widespread changes in Irish football after the FAI admitted to serious errors of judgment before and during this summer's tournament.
By Guardian Newspapers, 8/20/2002

Roy Keane's grievances about the Republic's World Cup preparations will result in significant changes after the Football Association of Ireland admitted for the first time that it had made serious errors of judgment before and during the summer tournament.

An independent inquiry commissioned by the FAI to investigate the circumstances surrounding Keane's walk-out from the squad will recommend that the association adopts a more professional approach. The general secretary Brendan Menton is likely to be heavily criticised and, as the FAI's highest-ranking official, may find his position under increasing scrutiny.

Keane had been scathing about the training facilities on Saipan, the Pacific island where the players were based before the tournament, and accused the FAI of undermining their chances, saying it was like "playing for the Dog and Duck".

Declan Conroy, speaking before this evening's friendly with Finland, said: "We have to hold up our hands and say we got things wrong."

Keane's sympathisers will consider that as an acknowledgement that the former captain raised justifiable points before his argument with the manager Mick McCarthy that led to him going home and effectively ending his Ireland career.

Menton also conceded that there would be significant changes to the FAI's preparations.

"There are things to improve on. I think you will find the organisation is structured very differently in 12 months," he said. "We don't want to be jeopardising the success of our national team."

The FAI has appointed Genesis, a Glasgow-based sports consultancy, to oversee the inquiry. Morris O'Connell, a former Bank of Ireland governor, and David Whitaker, a former coach of the Great Britain hockey team, will be used as consultants and the 23 squad members, including Keane, will be invited to make statements.

McCarthy was interviewed at the weekend but Keane has yet to indicate whether he will cooperate. The midfielder had complained about "dangerous" training facilities, that the skips carrying the players' kits had not arrived on time and that they were not given sensible food.

Keane was also critical about the FAI's reluctance to allow the players to fly first-class and questioned the wisdom of choosing a pre-tournament base which was a 23-hour flight from Dublin. (this is no longer an issue down to roy)
Although the FAI believes the manner in which Keane expressed his complaints was reprehensible, it is apparent that the association accepts part of the blame. A dietitian may now be employed and Eddie Cox, the FAI official responsible for the players' kits, faces awkward questions.

Menton's decision not to travel to Saipan will be scrutinised, as will his decision to fly to Seoul for the Fifa congress when talks were continuing to bring Keane back.

The inquiry team will also point out that the FAI should have begun preparations much earlier rather than waiting until after they qualified. Doing so would have helped secure the best facilities, distinctly not the case when Ireland arrived in Seoul for their match against Spain.

An interim report will be published next month - the full findings in October - but some changes are already being implemented. Players are now taken straight through airport check-ins to save them from being mobbed by fans. And the FAI has taken on two more press officers to join Brendan McKenna.

The FAI expects the review to recommend employing more specialist staff and, as such, the association intends to leave its headquarters in Dublin's Merrion Square for larger premises.

But it will be a major embarrassment, for both Menton and McCarthy, that Keane's criticisms will be the catalyst for widespread changes.


© Guardian Newspapers Limited

The FAI, although not perfect by a long shot, have copped on to themselves to a certain extent. Cheers roy da boy :)

[martin_rules_ie]

Exactly what Sunderland FC fans think too.

i think our national team deserves more than a 'decent' first division manger :ball:

[Cosmo]

'Yer probably right......trouble was even if such a hypothetical XI existed, the **** wouldn't turn-up!'

Yawn f_-king yawn :rolleyes:

'What's changed?'

Are you for real asking that question?? Kerrs attention to detail for one and his professionalism (doubt he wouldve missed that spain only had 10 men on the pitch in the world cup :mad: ).

If we get to the world cup we'll see a big change in preparation, etc

[martin_rules_ie]

the FAI conceeded roy was right and that brought about the resignation of one mick mccarthy. kerr is a much superior manager. it seems the players like him, the media like him, the fans like him. he has a good eye for up and coming talent which is something mccarthy never had. mick stuck with his buddies, his team-mates from yesteryear and started them time and time again (stan, quinn et al) when he could have been blooding new talent!
roy wouldnt have returned if changes weren't made. therefore changes have been made. players don't fly economy class anymore i bet. and if/when we make it to germany, i doubt we'll be flying to timbuctoo for preperations.

[dublinred]

thats very positive, sounds like you would almost wish for this to happen

Don't wish for it to happen but going by his history ......

Most of the Irish squad in 2002 played in the premiership , we appartently were on the p1ss for 2 weeks in saipan had no footballs etc , how come we were physically fitter and stronger than the England team who had every facilitity under the sun in Japan personnel chefs etc . What ever McCarthy did in Saipan it worked as I recall us finishing all our games strongly and the players didn't have to so called fatique of the English team.

[ColinR]

Don't wish for it to happen but going by his history ......

Most of the Irish squad in 2002 played in the premiership , we appartently were on the p1ss for 2 weeks in saipan had no footballs etc , how come we were physically fitter and stronger than the England team who had every facilitity under the sun in Japan personnel chefs etc . What ever McCarthy did in Saipan it worked as I recall us finishing all our games strongly and the players didn't have to so called fatique of the English team.

yes, but why did we have terrible first halves in all our matches. for some reason it took our players much much longer than other teams to settle into the matches???????

[Macy]

Don't wish for it to happen but going by his history ......

Most of the Irish squad in 2002 played in the premiership , we appartently were on the p1ss for 2 weeks in saipan had no footballs etc , how come we were physically fitter and stronger than the England team who had every facilitity under the sun in Japan personnel chefs etc . What ever McCarthy did in Saipan it worked as I recall us finishing all our games strongly and the players didn't have to so called fatique of the English team.
And tatically we were so good, we couldn't beat 10 men.

[martin_rules_ie]

its actually physically painful reading your posts conor :p

it was the principal of the thing (excuse the cliche!!) why should some FAI 'officials' get better treatment than the players which represent the association on the pitch. and yes conor on a 23 hour flight i reckon an uncomfortable seat could well injure someone :)
this misreatment had been going on for years and when you go to your manager to make a complaint you'd expect a civilised conversation. but no. its much more professional to humiliate a player in front of his colleagues. the FAI agree roy was right. there were problems in the preperations, its a fact (not just plane seats!!).

i obviously can't speak for roy but i am guessing that he wanted to wait and see if changes actually had been made before he returned which is fair enough.
and anyway roy was told he should not play internationally again by the old trafford docs. maybe this is why he delayed a decision to return.
all this aside, he is back. i know it must eat you up inside conor but he's back!! oh joy.. lets rejoice. hail keano!! too bad he's not a kerry man eh :rolleyes: :eek: ?

[dublinred]

And tatically we were so good, we couldn't beat 10 men.

Tactics were never McCarthys strong point but there was no doubting the squads fitness levels , Guinness beats beans on toast any day for stamina.

[martin_rules_ie]

:D :D

Please, martin, one excuse will do, but would you ever settle on one...

ok den. the first is my opinion and the second is fact. both are valid points in the debate i think ;)

[martin_rules_ie]

...Tactics were never McCarthys strong point but there was no doubting the squads fitness levels...

sweet jesus :p !! tactics weren't his strong points! speaks volumes :rolleyes:
if mick had a clue about tactics we would have went further in the WC

and if we're bringin his tactical awareness into question, how about his man-management??

[martin_rules_ie]

^^^

thats not imaginative, thats down-right silly :D

i'll leave the silliness to the kerry men

[tiktok]

I'm still looking for an example, and the best people can do is what Kerr may or may not have done were he the manager at a different time?

Main difference in my mind can be summed up as follows, McCarthy gave 23 caps out against Nigeria in a friendly before the WC2002, Kerr had Miller and Reid holding the ball up in the corner at the end of the game last wednesday, Kerr is methodical and cautious, but we won't see if that's worth anything for a while.

Fact is that no-one can give an example of too many improvements, anyone who mentions Kerr's away draw in france can easily have our away draws in Holland and Portugal brought up as evidence of McCarthy's abilities.

If anything, Kerr has a better starting eleven and squad than McCarthy had, although there are players who the former is getting more out of (although Kilbane's resurgence is probably more down to Moyes).

The FAI as an organisation hasn't changed much at all, they're still an incompetent old boys club from what I can see, although we seem to be attracting a better quality of Friendly opposition, and under Kerr, the EL fans have been well looked after in terms of our allocation.

If we get to WC2006, we'll see if Kerr's organizational skills can outdo McCarthy, we still haven't gotten past the second round since 1990 so that'd be nice.

[mandrake]

well said tiktok....good level headed synopsis.
everyone from cork seems to put there cork hats on and argue pro cork and everone from outside cork have anti cork opinions. what if keane was from roscommon/tipperary.
anyway in my opinion everyone one was at fault (boring or what).

[martin_rules_ie]

on this page alone you can see that cosmo, macy and colinR are being totally level-headed and sensible in their approah to this topic. they don't seem to be anti-cork. and maybe i am biased for roy but i can assure you there are quite a number of corkonians who are anti-roy!
roy has been called alot of things so far.. a horrible embassador for ireland??... that is total BS. roys does so much for charity and sick children and is a model professional.
that said, there were a few parties at fault for saipan.

[martin_rules_ie]

oh and i don't no about roy being from tipp/roscommon but i guarantee he would be supported to the end by all people if he was a dub :rolleyes:
but what can you do shur

[sadloserkid]

oh and i don't no about roy being from tipp/roscommon but i guarantee he would be supported to the end by all people if he was a dub :rolleyes:
but what can you do shur

Sounds like you're quite at home with geographical racism yourself... :rolleyes:

[martin_rules_ie]

Sounds like you're quite at home with geographical racism yourself... :rolleyes:

i have no problem with dubs bein good footballers and making a success of their careers. pity that some sectors can't accept roy as a footballing great.
ans slk as i have already stated many cork people dislike roy too, i'm not geographically racial mi amigo :rolleyes:

[Cosmo]

'on this page alone you can see that cosmo, macy and colinR are being totally level-headed and sensible in their approah to this topic. they don't seem to be anti-cork.'

For the record i dont particularly like cork people :eek: