Roy Keane out of the Portugal friendly.

[NeilMcD]

Internationals
"Rio Ferdinand's got a hamstring and Roy Keane's got a knee injury so we'll have to withdraw them. With so many games it's putting the strain on them. It's not wise them playing games midweek at this moment in time, they need time off. They've played a lot of football in the past few weeks, but all the rest of the lads are fit. I've got about 14 or 15 players away this week. It's hard to handle, but you just have to get on with it."

Report

[Macy]

That logic disqualifies any opinion about footballers once the managers tolerate their behaviour.

I would take that Kerr has more of idea of what is (or isn't) wrong with Keane than you. But sure, what would Kerr and qualified medics know compared to you, eh?

[eirebhoy]

Jaysus, a thread of 3 pages because Keane pulled out of an Ireland squad...

[Macy]

You believe everything football managers say? So if Wenger says Arsenal players never cheat, or Chelsea say they never tap up players, you just believe it? You honestly think that all the games Giggs, and Keane missed for their countries was some very very unfortunate coincidence?

That's almost...cute...

I said Kerr, not Ferguson. If he wasn't happy with Keane, he would say so, and he has already when there was all the "will he, won't he" debates.

[eirebhoy]

Keane has a pain killing injection before every game. Nothing new, if it was a CL game he would be playing in midweek. TBF, its only the media that are making excuses. Kerr said what he was told although I doubt he "had" to be taken off at the end of the Birmingham match.

[tricky_colour]

Jaysus, a thread of 3 pages because Keane pulled out of an Ireland squad...

Yea, I think there should be a site solely devoted to Roy Keanes knees.

www.the_battle_of_saipan.com

[barglee]

interesting thing to note is that today Duff wins his 50th cap while Giggs (who has been playing for Wales since early 90's) was in line for his 50th today but is "injured"

just illustrates the rate Ferguson/Man U players pull out of friendlies

[NeilMcD]

Yeah but Ryan Giggs does have a lot of trophies to his name while Damien Duff has the League cup. There is more to football than just international football. Although I much prefer international football not every players thinks the same.

[razor]

Although I much prefer international football not every players thinks the same.

And some just aren't allowed think at all.

[NeilMcD]

Well Ferguson gets a hard time from people in here about withdrawing players from friendlies but most international managers say he is one of the fairest in relation to this issue of releasing players. To be honest the worst has to be Daglish who threatened Charlton that if he ever did to to the Liverpool players what he did to David O Leary he would not see any of them play international football again.

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

I am another anti-Ferguson member of foot.ie. I have no time for the man and believe that he played a large part in the Saipan fiasco.
However, I believe there have been worse club managers as far as Irish interests are concerned. When Ireland played Yugoslavia in November 1998, a host of Premiership managers decided not to obey the 5-day release rule that is obligatory for competitive internationals. The likes of Alan Curbishly at Charlton and Joe Kinnear (yes that idiot who wanted to manage us) kicked up a fuss that the players should play for their clubs on the Saturday prior to the game. Somewhat of a tug-of-war ensued between the international team and the club teams. In the end, UEFA gave in to the clubs. That meant that Kinnear got to keep his right-full, Kenny Cunningham and his bench-warmer, Mark Kennedy. However, one manager rested his Irish players that weekend. From what I remember, Roy Keane and Denis Irwin were either left on the subs bench or substituted early by Ferguson. I seem to recall Keane being substituted early by Ferguson against Middlesboro?? I think United might have even lost the lead and dropped two points??
Anyhow, there have been plenty of club managers that have made it difficult for the international set-up. I even recall that our own David O'Leary was one of the managers who made it very difficult for our top young players to travel to Cyprus for the Euro U-18 Championships in 1998. Stephen McPhail travelled but Alan Maybury did not.
Therefore, I think it is clear that Ferguson is not on his own in terms of neglecting the wishes of international team managers. However, his decisions receive more publicity because of the stature of the club and players involved.

[NeilMcD]

Fair play good post. A well balanced post that is sometimes lacking in here

[Stuttgart88]

Fair play good post. A well balanced post that is sometimes lacking in here

Agreed.


In the last few posts there's a clear personality link between 3 of the worst managers in this context: Dalglish, O'Leary & Kinnear.

Each has been proven to be nothing other than a self-serving whinger with egos too big for their managerial achievements. I hope O'Leary is never ever let near the Irish job.

[Macy]

Do you know them all personally, or what is this 'proof' to which you refer?

Now now Conor, you of all people shouldn't be demanding proof for character assassinations of well known Managers....