Since 1997, Manchester United has been captained by an Irishman whose
name automatically inspires all those around him and opposing him to raise
their standards in order to achieve success. Roy Keane, signed in August
1993 from Nottingham Forest for a then record £3.75M has just embarked
on his eleventh season as a Manchester United player. At thirty two years
of age and after a number of injuries throughout his career, Roy Keane
has seen and done all there is to know about in football with one of Europe's
top clubs. But as the years progress where does Roy's future lie? Certainly
the football world in general believes Roy will end up as a football Manager
once his playing days end, but will that management role be at Manchester
United?
When Alex Ferguson announced in 2000 he would retire from managing Manchester
United at the end of 2002, Manchester United's Boardroom staff began searching
feverishly for a suitable replacement. Managers from across Europe and
beyond were interviewed and met and subsequently re-interviewed as time
went by. But as the end of the season in 2002 approached one fact became
alarmingly clear. There are very few managers that could replace Alex
Ferguson. When Ferguson himself announced he would remain at Old Trafford
for another three years it was a relief to the Boardroom and fans who
had scratched their heads for so long wondering who would follow the Govan
legend. If any lesson had been learned by the whole exercise it is that
the job of managing Manchester United will require someone who is at least
as mentally tough as Alex Ferguson, someone who can come to terms with
the size of the club, someone who will have the respect of every player
who plays from Manchester United's youth sides right up to the team that
takes on the cream of England & Europe week in week out and someone who
can deal with the press and media that can make the life of a Premiership
manager almost intolerable. It was testament to the regard Alex Ferguson
is held in the world of football that coaches like Luis Van Gaal, Fabio
Cappello, Ottmar Hittzfeld and Martin O'Neill were all mooted as replacements.
Yet in the end as soon as Ferguson indicated he was ready to stay on,
the job was his.
As a player Roy Keane has no equals. In ten seasons at Old Trafford he
has won seven championship medals, three FA Cup medals and the Intercontinental
Cup. For the Republic of Ireland he has played in the 1994 World Cup finals
and in truth no player could have done more to ensure Ireland got to the
2002 World Cup finals. Luck, or lack of it has marred his career at several
stages. He damaged his cruciate ligament in September 1997 which kept
him out of action until August 1998. He was suspended for the Champions
League final of 1999 and in 2002 he returned home from the World Cup before
a ball was kicked. What happened between Keane & Mick McCarthy will forever
be remembered by Irish Fans who lamented losing the Captain of the Irish
team. The bad luck was that Roy did not have his row with McCarthy before
going to Saipan, maybe it could have been sorted out if they had the fall
out two months before going to Saipan & Roy Keane in the peak of his career
could have shown the world just how good a player he is. But every knock
Keane takes is something that adds another dimension to his character
and drives him on for more success. Roy Keane is a born winner.
When he stops playing football, no doubt job offers will flood in. But
for Manchester United fans it would be very strange to see Roy Keane with
any other club apart from Manchester United. Just like with Bryan Robson
and Steve Bruce, they seemed born to wear the red jersey and it no doubt
took a lot of getting used to seeing Robson with Middlesboro and Bruce
with Brimingham as a player & Sheffield United as a manager. When Robson
& Bruce both called time on their Old Trafford careers job opportunities
at Manchester United were limited. Alex Ferguson was going nowhere and
Brian Kidd was his trusted assistant. As Roy Keane draws nearer retirement,
so too might Alex Ferguson contemplate swapping one of the worlds biggest
jobs for more time on the golf course and attending horse races. And the
questions have to be asked. Will Roy Keane be the next Manchester United
manager? Would it make sense for him to gain experience elsewhere first?
And if Roy were to take the job, could he handle being Manchester United
manager?
Comparing Manchester United to the last great English footballing dynasty,
Liverpool, is difficult because United have not yet had to change a Manager
since the beginning of this era of success. Liverpool promoted from within
when Shankly, Paisley & Fagan stepped down. The only parallels between
the Managerial situations was Liverpool appointing Kenny Dalglish as player-manager
in 1985. Dalglish landed the domestic double in his first season in charge
and also led Liverpool to championship honours in 1988 & 1990 and FA Cup
glory in 1989. European honours could, arguably have followed, had English
clubs not been banned from Europe between 1985 and 1990. But in march
1991 Dalglish resigned as manager citing pressure as the reason. No doubt
the Hillsborough disaster played a part in his decision, but ultimately
he has not been the same as a Manager since. He did a fantastic job with
Blackburn Rovers but since then has achieved little or nothing. Like Dalglish
was at Liverpool, Roy Keane is adored by the fans of the club he plays
for. In his never ending quest for success Keane almost quit as a United
player in September 2001 after being sent off at St. James park Newcastle.
Roy later revealed in his autobiography that he contemplated "jacking
it all in". As the pressure on Roy grew, Alex Ferguson spoke to him, calmed
him and returned him to being United captain, ready to take on the world.
If this pressure grew on Roy as Manager of Manchester United, who could
he talk to? It would be impossible for him to shy away from the media
and although Keane is anything but a quitter, could a Dalglish like scenario
arise? Or worse still, if criticism came from within the club, would it
be like the world cup in 2002 where Roy could not work with people he
had no respect for?
Looking at other options Roy Keane might have when he retires, where
else could he go? With his hunger for success, it is hard to see him working
with some of the lesser Premiership clubs, harder still lower division
clubs. Glasgow Celtic could be an option, as he openly admires Celtic
football club. Roy would undoubtedly attract attention from abroad, but
would moving to a foreign club uproot his family? Managing the Republic
of Ireland would also be an option, but Roy would probably not work with
those he feels stabbed him in the back in Saipan and Brian Kerr seems
intent on managing Ireland for a number of years to come. Certainly, becoming
Manchester United manager would be Roy's best option. It would mean no
disruption to his family life, working with players of the talent he has
worked with in his playing days and with a club he knows inside out.
For Manchester United, Roy Keane would be the most sensible choice of
new manager. It would provide minimal disruption to a club sailing along
under the stability of Alex Ferguson. Keane could spend time working alongside
Ferguson before taking over as Manager. And having spent over six seasons
as club captain so far and negotiating his contracts in 1998 & 2001, Keane
is aware of the financial constraints imposed by the PLC. He has the respect
of the players in the dressing room, which an outside manager might not
command and his age is certainly a plus for Manchester United. Keane is
young, energetic and would bring new ideas to a club he is so familiar
with. Undoubtedly each day in the job would be spent searching for improvement
on all fronts. He has never had trouble with the media while playing for
Manchester United and rarely are his comments to SKY TV or BBC or any
other broadcaster seen as inflammatory. It is only his infamous "prawn
sandwiches" comment in November 2000 that has ever really attracted public
debate and even then that comment only further endeared him to United's
travelling fans on away days. Keane's private life is something he cherishes
and something that most likely will never be leaked to the media. Roy
Keane is not the kind of man to have his private life debated in newspapers
like Sven Goran Ericsson and Roy is not one for attending gala nights
out with media photographers waiting for him to make a slip. Away from
the field of play Keane is a gentleman and has all of the off field attributes
expected from a Manchester United manager.
When Alex Ferguson looks at Roy Keane he must think he's staring a younger
version of himself in the face. Ferguson might not have been in the same
league as Keane as a player, but Ferguson's achievements as a player are
no mean achievements either. He had the same fiery temperament that Keane
possesses. Ferguson always wanted to win and was willing to go that extra
distance to achieve success. As men, both came from working class backgrounds
and through hard work & dedication they rose from their surroundings.
Ferguson from Govan in Glasgow, Keane from Mayfield in Cork. Although
neither admit to possessing the ball skills of players like Pele, Maradona
or Zidane, their dedication to the game took both to the heights of their
playing days. Ferguson used experiences drawn from his playing days to
deal with his interaction with players. For example, after being dropped
from the team to play a Scottish Cup final & only hearing about when the
jerseys were being handed out to the players, he swore he would never
do that to any player who played for him. Bryan Robson in 1994, Steve
Bruce in 1996 & Teddy Sheringham in 1999 were all left out of cup final
line ups but no doubt were comforted by Ferguson explaining his actions.
And looking at Roy Keane, the experience he has gained in his playing
days will help him in Management. The way he felt mistreated by Mick McCarthy
will surely help him lay down rules for how he treats players. He has
undoubtedly learned from Brian Clough and Alex Ferguson and also from
Jack Charlton, Mick McCarthy and his earlier coaches at Rockmount FC &
Cobh Ramblers in Cork. Just exactly what he has learned will only be put
to the test when he does decide to go into management.
All in all Roy Keane is destined to manage Manchester United, the club
so far he has given ten seasons a cruciate ligament and a hip to. Manchester
United is an integral part of Roy Keane's life and although nothing will
match his playing days, taking United to glory in England & Europe as
a manager would crown an Old Trafford career that in it's infancy brought
the domestic double as a player. It makes sense all round to make Roy
Keane the next Manchester United manager & would please the fans, the
staff, Keane, Ferguson and maybe even the PLC. there would be no more
fitting sight than to see Roy Keane manage Manchester United to the Champions
League. None more fitting that is, if he does not with that trophy as
a player first.
John Ryan
