Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane

[M@ttitude]

What are your thoughts on Robbie Keanes role under the new management? Some would have suggested he would be lucky to have a part of the next campaign. The first training session was based around him, to guide the younger lads maybe?

[OwlsFan]

What are your thoughts on Robbie Keanes role under the new management? Some would have suggested he would be lucky to have a part of the next campaign.

To score goals perhaps ? Some have been suggesting that Robbie shouldn't have been part of the last 3 campaigns but he continues to score goals. And do you know what? Unless you score goals, you don't win games.

[Stuttgart88]

Roy Keane press conference will be live on SSN at 2.30pm.

[back of the net]

Roy Keane press conference will be live on SSN at 2.30pm.

For those not abroad..
http://www.rte.ie/sport/player/#!/live/41/

[Stuttgart88]

I think M@ttitude's question was a fair one and fairly put too, not deserving of such a facetious answer.

O'Neill himself has questioned whether he'll retain the captaincy, saying that he'll be captain for these games but mainly because there's no point in changing anything while the management is taking stock of their, eh, stock.

It's also fair to ask whether people here think he'll be captain and whether he'll even be starting. The next campaign is a year away, a bigger thing for a guy of Keane's age than someone else. Will Long or Stokes step up to the plate? Will MON decide that he may have to play an extra midfielder to compete, jeopardising Keane's place.

To answer the original question, I think Keane will still be a big part of our 2014/5 season but others will be given a chance between now and September to elevate their status. They'll still have some catching up to do though to push Keane out of the way altogether, but I think Keane may be starting from the bench more often. I don't think he'll be captain, but there isn't a standout candidate to be captain for the long term either.

[DeLorean]

I could be wrong but I'd say the 'facetiousness' was aimed at the idiots who consistently give Robbie a hard time, not m@ittude. I hope so anyway or I'm taking back my 'thanks'!

[Stuttgart88]

Yep, I think Owls Fan was right to criticise Keane bashers but I think there was recognition of the same in the original question, when Matt said that some would have dropped him 3 campaigns ago.

If the new campaign was starting this week, Keane would be a shoo-in, but it starts in ten months. Keane reminds me of Larsson in a sense. Both are busy, instinctive forwards with similar body types and have looked after themselves. I think Keane will still be good as a 35 year old, but I think he'll need to be used a bit more cleverly.

[geysir]

Yep, I think Owls Fan was right to criticise Keane bashers but I think there was recognition of the same in the original question, when Matt said that some would have dropped him 3 campaigns ago.

If the new campaign was starting this week, Keane would be a shoo-in, but it starts in ten months. Keane reminds me of Larsson in a sense. Both are busy, instinctive forwards with similar body types and have looked after themselves. I think Keane will still be good as a 35 year old, but I think he'll need to be used a bit more cleverly.

Matt didn't say that.

[Stuttgart88]

Sorry, you're right. I got mixed up.

But he was fair when he said some don't think he should be starting in a year's time. Some don't.

[DeLorean]

I don't think we should treat the immediate future with any assumptions regarding what Robbie will or won't be able to contribute in a years time. He's important and good enough to play now so I would play him, obviously while also giving others their chance to impress. 10 months seems like an eternity right now but time flies and I'd expect little or nothing to change between now and then with regards Keane's ability to perform, injury dependent obviously.

It was Owls Fan that said 'some would have dropped him 3 campaigns ago'.

Edit- Just see that had been cleared up.

[M@ttitude]

Thanks for all the support lads, I didn't take any offence from Owls reply at all. There are a lot of Keane bashers about, I get frustrated watching him sometimes too but there is no doubting his commitment or record. But yes, Stutts reply was the kind of conversation I was hoping to create. From watching the training session yesterday it looked like the team is being set up around Robbie, I know it was the first training session but I was just thinking, why? Looking at Shane Longs performance at the weekend and Alan Shearer raving about him, is it not time to give Long a stable position in the team and give him the confidence to develop as an international striker for next September. I feel Shane Long has lost confidence within the Ireland setup. No 'facetious' replies please

[CraftyToePoke]

What are your thoughts on Robbie Keanes role under the new management?

I think Keane may be starting from the bench more often. I don't think he'll be captain, but there isn't a standout candidate to be captain for the long term either.

Are you confident he will still make that trip from the US if he isn't starting anymore ? Not that I'm advocating him being dropped either, but will he play the bit part in time ? Or call time on it.

[ifk101]

In many ways the criticism of Trapattoni's inflexible tactics can be linked to Robbie's inclusion in the team because you are restricted in how you effectively can use him. If the goal is to be more adaptable and flexible in the future maybe there is a hard decision there to be made for the new management team.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Keane will naturally start to feature less and less as we move forward, he's no spring chicken. But he has something to offer and if he maintains fitness and competitiveness at club level, he's as good an option as many other Irish strikers currently available. And if he's playing, let him be the Captain.

[EAFC_rdfl]

I might be a wee bit biased on it, but why wouldn't Coleman be a standout option for long term captain? He's surely going to be in the setup for the next 10 or so years.

[DeLorean]

Thanks for all the support lads, I didn't take any offence from Owls reply at all. There are a lot of Keane bashers about, I get frustrated watching him sometimes too but there is no doubting his commitment or record. But yes, Stutts reply was the kind of conversation I was hoping to create. From watching the training session yesterday it looked like the team is being set up around Robbie, I know it was the first training session but I was just thinking, why? Looking at Shane Longs performance at the weekend and Alan Shearer raving about him, is it not time to give Long a stable position in the team and give him the confidence to develop as an international striker for next September. I feel Shane Long has lost confidence within the Ireland setup. No 'facetious' replies please

I would also like to see Long get an extended run of starts, but alongside Keane.

[DannyInvincible]

Some quotes from Keane's press conference: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish...ress-comments/

Roy Keane met the press for the first time today since agreeing to become new Ireland manager Martin O'Neill's assistant, here are of some of his comments from his debut at Malahide.

Keane on Martin O’Neill:

"I've massive respect for Martin ... we're not buddies, but hopefully we can work well together."

"People might see me as a threat or a troublemaker of some sort… It’s a compliment to Martin that he thinks I can help him."

"I’m going to have to be the good cop, you obviously don’t know Martin the way you think you do. He makes me look like Mother Teresa!".

"If you'd asked me six months ago or a year ago if Martin would be the kind of manager I'd like to work under - absolutely."

Keane on taking Ireland post:

He says he "would have been crazy to turn down" the assistant manager's job and "I always had an open mind ... opportunity too good to turn down."

Keane says he can bring lots of experience, lots of knowledge and high standards to the Ireland set-up and: "I feel lucky to be back in Ireland set-up."

Keane says not here to change people's opinion of him ... "I spent years trying to please everyone."

Keane on Alex Ferguson:

Keane says he will not defend himself today after Alex Ferguson comments but he can't stop himself and adds:

“I have no issues. Everyone has opinions. The issue I have is when people tell lies about me. But today is not for that.”

Keane makes Saipan reference:

“Hotel’s been great, the food has been lovely, the training ground is lovely – no potholes, we’ve footballs, there’s even bibs. Major progress."

On Giovanni Trapattoni:

Keane said former Ireland manager Trapattoni did a very good job but "players need different ideas and a different voice".

As for Keane's Euro 2012 comments, he said they were not over the top and "players could have done better".

On John Delaney:

Meeting with John Delaney was "very straightforward ... the past is the past."

Keane raises a couple of laughs:

He denies telling Ray Houghton that some of the current squad are better than him. Jokes that Houghton had a few pints on him.

Keane, on being asked if he spoke to any of the players in the squad he played with, said: "Absolutely not, that's a ridiculous question."

Keane signs off with: “We have to kick on and not just be happy to qualify for tournaments, we have to go there and have an impact.”

The link also features an audio recording of Tony O'Donoghue's assessment and a video.

[OwlsFan]

I think M@ttitude's question was a fair one and fairly put too, not deserving of such a facetious answer..

It wasn't facetious at all. It was a genuine response. Robbie's role has always been to put the ball in the back of the net and until he is no longer able to do that, then that should be his role. People have been questioning whether he should start since I think the very first post in this whole thread and I see no reason for it now if you look at his recent goal tally. I got a ticket for the recent Samoa v Ireland rugby match and the hero worship for "Drico" around me made me annoyed at the attitude of so many football fans to one of our greatest players ever.

There's only one Keano.

[Yard of Pace]

The link also features an audio recording of Tony O'Donoghue's assessment and a video.

I've met this man numerous times late at night around the chinese takeaway and in the pub in a Dublin suburb. He's not the worst but there's no way in hell this man should ever be deciding the channel of thought on the Irish soccer team. He's no more knowledgeable than anyone on here. And a lot less so than many of the fellas on here.

I just say this as I worry to, what I perceive to be, his growing influence.

[Charlie Darwin]

I've always felt Tony O'Donoghue to be a good journalist to be honest, although I'm open to correction if your experience tells you otherwise.