Roy Keane repents and adopts new abuse policy
Sunderland manager Roy Keane has revealed that he has a zero tolerance policy towards verbal abuse. The Black Cats boss announced his policy following comments from the Sunderland crowd during the Carling Cup tie against Northampton last night.
He said: “One or two supporters were abusing me and that is something I won’t tolerate. Our players were poor but so were the crowd. I heard enough of people complaining and I won’t tolerate them abusing me. Some people were targeting me but that’s something I’ve not come into the job to accept. You must understand that I appreciate criticism, constructive criticism which I’m clearly going to receive. Trust me, my biggest critic is myself and I got my team wrong against Northampton but, although I know abuse is part of football, it’s something I won’t tolerate.”
Is Keano a changed man? Has he seen the error of his ways? I reckon this is probably an excellent footballing example of you can give it out but you can’t take it. Perhaps over time he has come to realise that managers deserve at least a degree of civility. After all, they are only trying to do a job. Just ask Mick McCarthy – he knows all about the respect managers deserve (“That man can rot in hell for all I care,” or “Who do you think you are having meetings about me? You were a crap player and you are a crap manager. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country and you’re not even Irish you English c***!”).
But the relationship with fans is equally important. Sunderland fans should not get personal with Keane, because Keane would never get personal with fans – zero tolerance, remember. (“Sometimes you wonder, do they understand the game of football? They have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don’t realise what’s going on out on the pitch.”)
Perhaps it is time for the FA to launch a Respect the Roy campaign. Or a Help The Hypocrite scheme.
Topics: English Premier League, Roy Keane, Sunderland
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Okay, I don’t care what anyone says, Keano is a legend in my eyes. He was my favorite captain of my favorite club in his playing days and when he wore the Red of United, he said and did what he had to for the good of the club. He bled Red for United and that will always make him a legend as far as I’m concerned. He may come across as hypocritical now that he’s a manager at Sunderland but let’s be honest with each other, he valued playing for United more than he values managing Sunderland.
I’m not trying to say anything bad about Sunderland but Keane is only there for experience sake which is why he is willing to let something as trivial as fan abuse determine the length of his stay at the club. People still forget that he hasn’t really experienced failure at management yet and I think that the point he is trying to get across is that he is an inexperienced manager and everyone including him knows it, but to verbally abuse him for inexperienced managerial judgements is something he is not yet going to accept. Which is something that makes sense to my biased red ass.
September 25th, 2008 @ 16:53my biased red and white ass agrees with you
September 25th, 2008 @ 17:29he is a legend no doubt but those who live in glass houses must learn not to throw stones. he was recently quoted to have called jack warner a clown, and he insulted his manager at the 2002 world cup. now his very own (sunderland fans) are abusing him, it look like the chickens are coming home to roost.
September 25th, 2008 @ 17:49i firmly believe that, as a fan, you pay your money and are free to make your feelings felt….if i was at the game and was witnessing my team being embarrassed by a lower league club you are damn right i would be up screaming, shouting and booing my disapproval…..
if my manager can’t handle that he is in the wrong line of work….simple as…..
September 25th, 2008 @ 17:49He’s right – football fans are idiots…and there’s no prizes in football for tolerating idiots.
Unless you’re a football manager, in which case you’re being paid for it.
A nice conundrum Keano finds himself in…
September 25th, 2008 @ 18:05paul mackem//
September 25th, 2008 @ 18:14So if you pay for your ticket at the cinema, you can behave exactly how you want? You can sit there, shout, call people names – and disturb the other folks’ night. Aye. Give yer head a shake man.
It´s never ever ok to give verbal abuse to players or manager. You´re a supporter of the team are you not? Support it then and don´t be a fickle pain in the butt for the rest of us bleeding the colors of our team. If the doesn´t put in an effort, a boo or two ain´t the whole world – even if it doesn´t help, but to personal abuse any part of the team, manager included, is just not right.
Your argument on Roy Keane’s behaviour as a player and as a manager fails, due to his intgerity, which shines though in baoth teh examples you identify. He was right in his argument with McCarthy. The players on Wednesday let him (and us)down badly. The manager Keane knows as well as any supporter who is performing well on the pitch and who is performing badly. Both as a player and a manager he has shown the right attitute to win football games, and has done his best to put his team in the best position to win football matches. Pick on someone who is incompetent – there are a few managers and chairmen who are – Keane isn’t.
September 25th, 2008 @ 18:33Talk about people in glass houses. Keane talks about constructive criticism – hardly his approach with McCarthy. He was an abusive bully and often a cowardly thug on the pitch. He’s shown that, just like during his playing days, he can dole it out but can’t take it. He’s shown a distinct lack of class and judgment with his opinionated outbursts and gives the impression that his main concern is Roy Keane. I don’t see where integrity comes into it. After the stick we’ve (nufc) had over Keegan walking, it would be more than funny if the hard man down the road took a hike because a few people have called him nasty names. Doubt he will though.
September 25th, 2008 @ 19:48My point is that when Keane was a player he said and did what he had to as a player. He didn’t think that someday he’d end up managing a football club and then end up taking them into the Premiership his first season only to keep them there his second season. Now he is a manager but Keano is too strong a person to let things he said and did as a player when he gave his all determine what he should and shouldn’t say now.
September 26th, 2008 @ 06:17First of all let’s not get carried away with what some press release tells us, we don’t actually know how Roy Keane feels about the alleged abuse, and secondly don’t take it too much to heart we all know that a few pints inadvisedly taken can loosen the biggest mouth, and things said in the heat of the moment should always be weighed up after the smoke has settled. Roy Keane is his own sternest critic he is bound to make mistakes but I reckon the man is big enough to handle that side of his game and let’s face it he’s without doubt the best man for the job, I don’t think a few stupid comments from an idiot is going to make Mr Keane leave the job, he’s much too committed for that, and if he isn’t well he shouldn’t be there in the first place.Let’s get on with it, these are exciting times for our team, trust, and respect the manager, he is a fine man.
September 26th, 2008 @ 08:16Roy Keane and Kevin Keegan are cut from the same psychological cloth. They both need to be in total control to feel secure and when they start to loose control there will be aberrations. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Keane walk away from Sunderland on some point of dubious principle.
September 26th, 2008 @ 08:59don’t see why people are saying Keano will walk away. He HAS total control and the full backing of the board, and props to him for saying what managers and players dare not say.
September 26th, 2008 @ 12:12then he should shut up and carry on the good work he has already began, he has always pride himself to be tough, so why should be bothered by the ranting of a few unsatisfied fans.
September 26th, 2008 @ 12:50