Is being accused of feigning an injury worse than been accused of running an unprofessional side and no preparing properly for a World Cup and this being done in the full glare of the media. I think both of them had every right to feel hurt in this and as I said both were wrong in many areas of it.
In Trap we trust
Paul McGrath wasn't there though was he?
And given that the likes of Brian Kerr have said that an awful lot of what was put out by the RK media machine about Saipan was untrue so who's to say that Roy's own account of the row hasn't been somewhat embelished.
Have you forgotten that RK walked out 2 days before and had to be talked around? So to me it's obvious he wasn't in his 'happy place' (not sure whether his happy place is throwing darts at a picture of Alfie Halaand for having the temerity to injure Roy by being kicked in the air by him or if it's out walking Triggs?) long before the meeting.
From what others that were in the room have said it was obvious that RK didn't want to be there period, from all accounts he was behaving like a royal pain in the arse the whole time.
McCarthy's biggest mistake was bring RK on what was an R & R stopover, he'd have been better off letting him join them at their top of the range training facility in Japan. Personally I don't think the incident would have happened had RK not seen Arsenal do the double (winning the league at Old Trafford) and hadn't seen his efforts in the CL semi come to nothing against what he considered a far inferior side in Leverkussen. He wasn't a happy man....
Last edited by Drumcondra 69er; 01/05/2009 at 4:28 PM.
On the Halaand issue I can see where he is coming from, having a similar thing happen to me and people saying there is not much wrong with you.
Obviously what he did after that was terrible and I would not condone it
In Trap we trust
Have you had a similar thing if you're playing and someone goes through the back of you with a deliberate kick and you give them some verbals back seeing as they've just kicked you? Is it reasonable to think that if the other player is down after he's comitted what was a red card offence against you that he might be staying down to make things more difficult for the ref?
I'd have no problem with saying something along the lines of 'What the fukk are you staying down for, you kicked me you c##t!' in that situation in the heat of the moment. Hardly pre-meditated and no one knew how bad that injury was at the time.
Anyway, time to log off, off to Dalyer for now!
Agree with both parts.
In Keane's defence I think he had his demons and we've got to make allowances for that.
The great irony of course is that Ireland's Japanese base was supposed to be one of the best set-ups in the whole tournament. According to the FAI anyway
How about, the reason to inflict the reckless, pre meditated assault, was Roy's basic lack of common sense, an inability to get over it and grow up.
I wonder why the fake slur was such a sensitive one? Obviously the whole world knew he wasn't faking it.
Me thinks, he protests too much about these "fake" accusations.
Believe Roy Keane due to appear on Late Late tonight.
As I said it's the one thing that gets me going. Being accused of doing something I didn't. I'd certainly have a hatred for Haaland if I was Keane after the shouting he gave him while he was decked out. I wouldn't go out and try to injur him but I would've got my own back throughout the game on the sly.
Last edited by eirebhoy; 01/05/2009 at 6:59 PM.
Maybe you hadn't done it that time.......... but?
Didn't he say to Haaland "Tell your mate Woodgate there's one of them for him too"?
Woodgate's crime? Keane tried to tackle him, missed and tore his knee ligaments in the process.
And don't tell me Keane never shouted at an injured player to get up.
Funny thing is that after he retired Keane admitted that the tunnel-visioned-winning-is- everthing image was just an act, one he needed people to believe.
And he also said McCarthy was top class in their meeting pre-Wolves v Sunderland.
Weird character, strangely compelling. Probably a nice guy to the few close to him, and probably a superb family man. It's a pity the biggest stories in Irish football are about the guys who didn't play. There's enough good things going on that people could look at.
I think Keane is very conscious of creating an image.
If someone watched his guide dog interview with no previous experience with the man, you'd say he was a charming, nice guy.
The media machine would have you believe that this was one of the toughest men alive, and this is largely because of Roy fueling this image himself.
I love football, I love playing football, but when I hear the talk about "hard men," and people shouting "it's a man's game" I have to laugh.
Obviously there are moments in a match that require genuine courage- going up for a header against a goalkeeper who is trying to punch a ball; maintaining your focus while dribbling as you know someone is trying to lunge at you with a sliding tackle; going up for a header against a guy who's been swinging elbows throughout the match, etc.
But the point I'm trying to make is that football for the most part is not violent nor what I would call typically masculine.
The media would make you think Roy was the toughest guy in the world, but I'd pick one of the Irish rugby guys of a similar height/weight to beat Roy in a fight any day.
Saw the interview on the late late tonight(man I hate that Kenny) and have to say it didn't disappoint. Roy as usual was spot on with most of what he had to say.
No bull about the guy and very believable. Not everyone's cup of tea, sure, but I believe they're the ones without the spines. I think he's a class act.
Esse Quam Videri
Does anyone have a link to the Roy Keane interview from earlier tonight? Cheers.
Er...
You'd want to be his friend, but would hate to be his enemy.
For me a class act is someone that everybody wants to be friends with, but if he was your enemy you wouldn't fear for your life because he's a goddamn sociopath.
To add to my last post- there's nothing manly about the challenge he made on Haaland.
Cowardice personified- his jumping ship from Sunderland during their time of need in a selfish career saving move only adds to his growing reputation as a bottler.
Last edited by irishfan86; 01/05/2009 at 11:05 PM.
Hey, I never condoned his challenge on Haaland but it seems you took it worse than he did. I was referring to the interview and thought he spoke a lot of sense as he has done throughout his career. Some people are obviously too shy to hear the truth sometimes and when it comes it's dismissed becaused it came from a thug like Keane. Give me a break.
There should be more guys like Roy in the game, it wouldn't be as bland and as boring as you like it to be.
Esse Quam Videri
Spot on Stuttgart. Missed the interview as I was out with Saint Tom and Paul but will watch it later. I think you have hit the nail on the head with most of what you have said. Lads here is an insight. When you have gone down with a serious injury and somebody saying there is nothing wrong with you, it is hard to hold back the feelings. It is very raw and I can certainly see where Keane is coming from havin been in a simillar place. Funnily enough Brian Clough was in a very similar place also.
It was not Woodgate it was Wetheral Stutts, but that is neither here nor there.
In Trap we trust
There's nothing bland about Shay Given, Robbie Keane, and Richard Dunne.
They wear the green with pride, and bring the right kind of personality to the game.
I'm not saying I hate Roy Keane as a person, and I appreciate his achievements as a player- but I would object strongly to calling him a class act.
I call people classy or a class act because of their actions in the real world, and not because of their conduct on a late night talk show.
Anybody can be polite in that situation- however, it takes a man to maintain that kind of dignity when the going gets tough, and as we've seen with Roy time and time again, he lacks that calibre, and therefore is in no way a class act.
For the record, I don't wish failure on anybody, and I hope he does well with Ipswich and helps the Irish players develop there by proxy.
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