Soccerlens’ Football League preview reaches its climax ahead of the big kick-off this weekend, with The Championship playing a starring role.

There’s plenty of big names battling it out for a money-spinning place in the Premiership, so read for our views on who’ll be mixing it with Manchester United next season, who’ll be lowering themselves into League One, and our prediction for Newcastle’s season.

Bluffer’s guide to the league

Even in the days when it was the old Second Division, the league that isn’t the top flight has been well regarded. Known as The Championship since 2004, it’s the richest second-tier league anywhere in the world. The playoff final is often referred to as the most valuable game in the world due to the riches on offer from the Premier League for one season before the inevitable relegation.

If The Championship were a football it would be…

Craig Bellamy. Not quite as good as it thinks it is, but there’s enough class to be able to mix it with the best from time to time. Never quite convinces at the highest level but exciting to watch and genuinely unpredictable.

Last season in a Tweet

Wolves take the title despite a mid-season dip. Nearest challengers also fall over themselves not to win the league. Ex-Premier League teams make up the bottom three.

Tables toppers

In a league where none of the relegated three from the Premier League look quite capable of lighting up the Championship, Sheffield United look a good bet for the title. Although the Blades stumbled in the playoffs, they have the momentum behind them and, at times, looked the best team in the league. There’s plenty of firepower and creativity in the side (Ched Evans is a good signing) and Kevin Blackwell’s side will the the ones to beat.

Promotion pushers

Never underestimate the power of Roy Keane. You can ask questions about his ability to manage in the Premier League but he took Sunderland up from the Championship and should do the same with Ipswich Town. Owner Marcus Evans has deep pockets and Keane has already set about building a squad for promotion. The Tractor Boys know what’s expected of them and Keane is the man to lead them to it.

Playoff prospects

Had Tony Mowbray stayed at West Brom and kept the vultures at bay for the Baggies best players, we’d have made them title favourites. As it is, they should comfortably make the playoffs. Roberto Di Matteo is new to this level but did well with the MK Dons and, in Simon Cox and Rueben Reid has signed players with potential but no proven experience at this level. A lot rests on whether the Baggies can hold onto the likes of Jonathan Greening until the transfer window shuts.

Gareth Southgate has quietly been going about his business at Middlesborough this close season and despite the departure of Stewart Downing, likely to be followed by that of Tuncay, but Boro still have a very strong squad. If Southgate can refocus his troops then expect the Teesiders to be challenging for an immediate return.

Reading should have been good enough to head straight back to the Premier League. As it was they occasionally lost their way last season, and new boss Brendan Rodgers may find it hard to turn them into title contenders. Kevin Doyle may be gone but the Hunt brothers will always be dangerous and the Royals should play some of the most eye-catching football in the division again.

Preston are getting to be a fixture in the playoffs without ever being quite good enough to make the step up to the Premier League. Alan Irvine has slowly put together a very good team that may not be high on star quality but North End will again be tough to break down and may fly under the radar again. Other teams should not underestimate them.

Outside bet

There’s plenty of other teams – Swansea, Cardiff and QPR – who’ll be challenging for the playoffs but keep an eye on Derby County. This will be Nigel Clough’s first full season in charge and all the signs are he could replicate his success with Burton. He’s signed players he knows like Jake Buxton and Dean Moxey and has revitalised a club badly in need of a pick-me-up. Clough will be in for the long haul but the Rams may yet surprise many.

Relegation fodder

Barnsley may have just managed to keep themselves in the Championship in recent seasons but this could be a fight too far. Simon Davey’s team will give it their all but with two strong teams promoted from League 1 and their rivals have strengthened. The Yorkshire club have what it takes to compete at this level, but may need a season in the division below to realise it.

Scunthorpe won a lot of friends by beating MK Dons then Millwall in the League One playoffs last season but it won’t be an easy season in the Championship for the Iron. Nigel Adkins is a good young manager but with the resources at his disposal and the quality of oter teams in the division, Scunthorpe may have to settle for being a yo-yo club.

Blackpool have Ian Holloway as manager and if anybody can save the Tangerines from the drop it’s the outspoken manager from Bristol. Holloway had fellow relegation rivals Plymouth punching well above their weight but his record is somewhat tainted by relegation at Leicester. Much will rest on new signing Jason Euell but even his goals won’t be enough for ‘Pool.

Joker in the pack

Newcastle United, in every sense of the word. After a pre-season of complete inertia with no takeover, no manager and no new players, the Toon are an utter mystery ahead of the season. On paper, the ‘biggest club in the Championship’ looked strong enough to bounce back but many of the squad are looking for an exit and there’s no telling how a bunch of players who looked uninspired last season will fare outside of the Premier League. Death or glory, or, quite probably, mediocrity, awaits.

Solid gold gaffer

Gary Johnson has a knack of getting the best out of teams that are more than the sum of their parts. Defied expectation that Bristol City would head straight back down to League One by turning them into playoff contenders and will continue to do so this time around.

Three players to watch

Simon Cox was hot property in League One last season, topping the scoring table for the division in an average Swindon side. West Brom have paid £2m for his services, and the youngster has much to prove as the Baggies look to fire their way back to the Premier League.

Craig Noone has come a long way since coming up through the ranks at non-league Skelmersdale United. The midfielder leapt from the Blue Square North to the Championship when Plymouth Argyle signed him last season and he was a rare bright spot as the Pilgrims struggled. Wigan and Sunderland were rumoured to be interested and Noone will be a key player again for the Devon club.

George Boyd has already more than justified his record-breaking £260,000 move to Peterborough three years ago. Now the 23-year-old has his chance to make his mark on the Championship. Tipped by many to reach the Premier League, expect the former Stevenage man to terrorise defenders again this season.

Also See:

09/10 League One – Season Preview
09/10 League Two – Season Preview
09/10 Blue Square Premier – Season Preview

Obviously, we know that Sir Alex Ferguson has won many trophies, coached a lot of great players, and accomplished a lot of extraordinary things during his time at Manchester United. His critics (namely Rafa Benitez) might point to the amount of money that he’s spent, especially in recent years, as evidence of Sir Alex Ferguson buying his way to greatness. However, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s had more than his fair share of talent at Manchester United. The sheer number of great players that have gone through Old Trafford during Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign is stunning.

Who were his very best players? Let’s look at each position:

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel

Schmeichel’s stats speak for themselves. He has the highest ratio of clean-sheets to starts in Premiership history, blanking the opposition in 42% of his starts with Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Manchester City. His ratio was higher during his time at United as he managed to keep a clean sheet during 176 of his 398 starts for United in all competitions, which translated into a 45% mark. He kept 21 clean sheets in the Premiership in 1994-1995, 18 clean sheets in 1992-1993 and 1995-1996, and 16 in 1997-1998. He won the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year award three times (1992, 1993, 1998), and the IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper Award twice (1992, 1993).

Schmeichel large presence in goal wasn’t limited to his impressive stats or his gigantic 6-foot 4-inch frame and XXXL shirt that made him look more like an NFL linebacker than a Premiership goalkeeper. He always seemed to come up big when his team needed him the most, whether it was saving Dennis Bergkamp’s penalty shot in the 1999 F.A. Cup Semifinals (and followed with an even better stop in extra time against Bergkamp), making a gravity-defying save against Rapid Vienna in the Champions League, or scoring an equalizer against Rotor Volgograd to salvage a UEFA Cup tie. His fiery demeanor and penchant for yelling at teammates and opponents alike ensured that his larger-than-life presence would be felt in any match, regardless of the outcome.

The “Great Dane” continues to loom large at Old Trafford as all successors and heirs have failed to measure up. Even Edwin Van der Sar, a world class keeper who recently broke the English record for most consecutive clean sheets, has been described as the “best Manchester United keeper since Schmeichel.” Maybe that will change if Van der Sar puts up a dominant performance in the Champions League Final, but right now, the edge goes to the Great Dane.

Right Back: Gary Neville

Perhaps no Manchester United player, with the possible exception of one Cristiano Ronaldo, has been more polarizing of a figure than Gary Neville. His many detractors (although he doesn’t have nearly as many as his brother, Phil, does) love to criticize him for everything, ranging from his lack of height and perceived lack of pace, to non-football related things like his outspoken nature (especially after Rio Ferdinand’s drug suspension) and his sleazy-looking moustache. Additionally, his unswerving devotion to his club has made him a lightning rod of criticism for United haters around the world, much more so than the more understated Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.
However, even his detractors have to admit that Gary Neville is the best English right-back of his generation and a vital cog in the United machine that has won so many trophies since Sir Alex came to Old Trafford. At his peak, he was one of the best crossers in the game and his ability to come forward made United an extremely dangerous offensive squad. Defensively, he was one of the most reliable right-backs in the world, using his knowledge of the game and his ability to position himself to make up for his athletic limitations.

As a result of injuries, his ability has diminished considerably in recent years. Nevertheless, Neville remains an inspirational leader to his club and seems destined to follow his long-time teammate, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, into the United management hierarchy. For a one-club man like Gary Neville, nothing could be more appropriate.

Center Back: Steve Bruce

There have been many great center-halves at Old Trafford since Sir Alex took the reins, and you could make a case for any number of them over Bruce and Jaap Stam (see below). Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, and Gary Pallister have all had distinguished careers in United red, and when all is said and done, Ferdinand and Vidic may well be remembered as the two best defenders in team history. When talking about Manchester United’s greatest defenders, Bruce, the long-time captain of United, often gets forgotten about. It’s hard to see why.

After all, Bruce was widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted defenders in England during his time with United. He was an excellent passer and could hold the ball even under enormous pressure. He rarely made mistakes, which was all the more impressive given his penchant for playing hard. He was the heart of the defense and thought nothing of playing through injuries and taking punishment from opposing players. Additionally, he was an excellent goal-scorer and finished his United career with an astonishing 51 goals in all competitions (including 19 in all competitions during the 1990-1991 season), giving him a higher United tally than Denis Irwin, Louis Saha, Teddy Sheringham, and Nicky Butt.

Nowadays, Steve Bruce is probably known more for his managerial career. During stints at Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic, Bruce has been both criticized and praised, usually the former. He’s been good to his old club, though, as he has yet to win against Manchester United in a managerial capacity, including a loss on the last day of the season in 2007-2008 that allowed United to clinch the Premiership title and a loss one year later that put United on the brink of the 2008-2009 title. Clearly, those United ties are hard to cut as far as Steve Bruce is concerned.

Center Back: Jaap Stam

Sir Alex doesn’t like to admit when he’s made a mistake, especially when it comes to the transfer market. He still won’t admit that signing Juan Sebastian Veron was a mistake and he has no apologies for the personal rows that led to the likes of David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and Roy Keane leaving Old Trafford.

So when Sir Alex admits that he made a mistake selling Jaap Stam to Lazio in 2001, then you have to stand up and take notice. Moreover, you have to appreciate just how dominant of a center-back Stam was during his time at Old Trafford based solely on the fact that Sir Alex issued a mea culpa for his transfer. Stam was the lynch-pin of the United defense and one of the biggest reasons why they won the Treble in 1999. He was a dominant force in the air and was universally regarded as one of the best individual defenders in the world.

The exact circumstances that led to Stam’s sale remain murky. Various theories abound concerning how the star defender fell out at United so quickly and so suddenly. Some point to his controversial autobiography where Stam criticized some of his teammates (particularly the Nevilles and Beckham) and accused Sir Alex of tapping him up while he was playing for PSV Eindhoven. Others pointed to the growing influence of Jason Ferguson (Sir Alex’s son) and his agency, who were behind several of United’s moves in the transfer market (such as bringing in Roy Carroll and Laurent Blanc). Still others pointed to Stam’s failed drug test immediately after joining Lazio and speculate that United dumped Stam before he could be suspended. We don’t the exact reasons for his departure, but we know the result. Without Stam, United were forced to keep Roy Keane back in order to help out the back four, which hampered their attack and led to a memorable Keane rant about how players are treated like pieces of meat.

One thing that was indisputable was that United were worse off without Stam. It wasn’t until the squad signed Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic that they finally filled the void.

Left Back: Denis Irwin

Here’s an interesting bit of trivia. On a team that boasted so many excellent scorers and dead-ball specialists like Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, it was Denis Irwin that took the penalty kicks. His prowess from the penalty spot was one of many things that made him such an excellent player for Sir Alex Ferguson.

Irwin came to Old Trafford with little fanfare as Sir Alex purchased him for the relatively modest price of £625,000. With the low price tag came low expectations as Irwin, who had toiled for Leeds United and Oldham Athletic, wasn’t seen as a particularly dynamic player. He soon proved his worth to Manchester United as he became their most dependable and reliable defensive player. Sir Alex liked to say that he was always the first name on the lineup sheet, even ahead of the captain. An excellent defender who rarely put a wrong foot forward, Irwin continued to excel even as he got older, keeping youngsters like Phil Neville out of the first team. Meanwhile, his dead ball ability was so great that he was hailed as being a better free-kicker than Ryan Giggs, Paul Ince, and Andrei Kanchelskis. Only David Beckham was seen as a better dead-ball striker during Irwin’s time with United. Irwin could also play right-back, which only emphasizes his value to Sir Alex.

Irwin’s long period of excellence puts him ahead of his only real competition for this spot in Patrice Evra. Maybe Evra might get there after several more years of excellence. However, he’s got a ways to go, and he can thank “Mr. Dependable” for that.

Right Midfielder: Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo faced some stiff competition for this spot from none other than David Beckham. The two of them may share a love of the nightlife and a penchant for outstanding free-kicks, but that’s about it. If this were a team, then maybe Beckham would get the nod due to his outstanding crossing and brilliant passing. However, since we’re talking about the best players, then Ronaldo easily gets takes the pot.

Ronaldo’s talent is unquestionable, and his transformation from a raw, undisciplined youngster who was more style than substance into the best player in the world is a testament to Ferguson’s managerial skills. He has scored 118 goals in all competitions for United (pending the 2009 Champions League Final), including an astounding 42 goal season in 2007-2008. He’s Manchester United’s first Ballon d’Or winner since George Best in 1968. He can score them with his head, he can score then from the penalty spot, and he can score then from 35-40 yards out (as he did against Porto and Arsenal this season in the Champions League). It’s probably not a coincidence that, ever since he emerged as a bona-fide goalscoring treat in 2006-2007, United have won the Premier League every single season. Indeed, the only knocks on him are his penchant for on-the-pitch theatrics, diving, and lack of commitment to playing defense (although Beckham is certainly guilty of not tracking back as well). However, there’s no question that 99% of the managers in the world would be able to live with Ronaldo’s faults if it meant getting a player of his caliber.

The only question seems to be whether Ronaldo will continue on in a United uniform or move to Real Madrid in the offseason. Ferguson may need to rely on every bit of his persuasive skills if he wants Ronaldo to forget about his self-described “dream move.”

Center Midfielder: Roy Keane

Sometimes, the effect of skippers on their teammates is overrated. That wasn’t the case with Roy Keane. Perhaps the greatest captain in Manchester United history, Keane was a great player to boot. Keane was one of the best defensive midfielders that ever lived and his all-consuming desire to win made him an excellent leader. He was the engine of some of Sir Alex’s greatest teams and his aggressive and physical play in midfield inspired his teammates and intimidated his opponents.

It also caused him to go over the edge on numerous occasions. His disciplinary record was one of the worst in English footballing history as he was accumulated a record-tying 13 red cards during his career, with 11 coming as a United player. He admitted to injuring Alf-Inge Håland of Manchester City as retribution for a tackle in 1997-1998 that led to a serious knee injury for Keane. His dissatisfaction with Ireland’s preparations for the World Cup in 2002 led to him being dismissed by team manager Mick McCarthy. His rant on MUTV against Rio Ferdinand, Darren Fletcher, John O’Shea, Kieran Richardson, and Alan Smith was pulled from broadcast and remains one of the great “lost” interviews in football history. His row with Sir Alex over, among other things, pre-season accommodations, led to his sudden departure from United after looking like he was going to be groomed to replace Sir Alex as manager.

Nevertheless, Keane remains one of the greatest legends to ever put on a United shirt. His heroic display against Juventus in the 1999 Champions League Semifinals remains the stuff of legends while his willingness to stand up for his teammates (especially against fellow “hard-man” Patrick Vieira) only adds to his reputation. He may have flamed out, but no one burned brighter than Roy Keane did for Sir Alex Ferguson.

Center Midfielder: Bryan Robson

As successful as Sir Alex Ferguson has been over the years, its important to remember that he was hardly an overnight sensation. In fact, he went trophyless during his first three years at Old Trafford and only managed to win the 1989-1990 F.A. Cup. Despite spending on big named players like Bruce, Pallister, Mark Hughes, Paul Ince, and Neil Webb, Sir Alex never came close to winning a League Title (the closest was in 1987-1988 when he finished second by a whopping 9 points to Liverpool). He was nearly fired after his squad was humiliated against crosstown rivals Manchester City by a score of 5-1 during the 1989-1990 season. However, the board showed patience with him and he’s repaid them in spades.

The cupboard was virtually bare when Ferguson took over, but the one great player that he had was Bryan Robson, who arrived from West Brom for a then record £1.5 million (how times have changed). Robson was Manchester United’s captain for a record 12 years, but more importantly, he kept the team afloat during Ferguson’s difficult early years in charge and acted as a bridge to the club’s rise to prominence in the 1990’s. Robson gave Manchester United credibility in those days as he was one of the most respected players in England. He captained the English National Team from 1982-1991 and was widely regarded to be one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. His 99 goals in all appearances ranks 21st all time in the Manchester United record book.

Bryan Robson edges out Paul Scholes who, like Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, have been loyal one-club servants under Sir Alex. While both players have their merits, Robson played with lesser teammates and carried his squad while Scholes was always more of a complimentary player. Robson continues to serve his club to this day, returning to Manchester United to serve as a goodwill ambassador alongside fellow legend, Sir Bobby Charlton.

Left Midfielder: Ryan Giggs

Here’s some food for thought. There has never been a Premiership season in which Ryan Giggs did not score at least one goal for Manchester United. He is also the first player in UEFA Champions League history to score in 12 consecutive seasons. Most importantly, Ryan Giggs has won more English League Titles than any other footballer in history and is the only Manchester United player to have played for each and every one of the 11 Premier League championship teams under Sir Alex Ferguson.

More impressively, Giggs has seemingly gotten better with age. He started out as a dynamic left winger who was known for his dazzling runs down the flanks and his deft scoring touch. If you ever needed confirmation of his blinding speed, his excellent dribbling, and his astounding scoring touch, one need only ask Arsene Wenger about it, and he’ll recount to you the 1999 F.A. Cup Semifinals where Ryan Giggs carved up his entire defense and put the past one of the best shot-stoppers in the world in David Seaman (assuming Wenger saw it, of course). As he got older, and his lost a bit of his speed, Giggs was able to reinvent himself as a playmaking central midfielder who used his deft passing skills and outstanding vision to set up his teammates. Even though he became more of a facilitator, he was still capable of scoring the occasional highlight reel goal. Just ask Blackburn about Giggs’ scoring touch and they’ll tell you about this past season when he faked out two defenders and put one past a stunned Paul Robinson.

Simply put, many players have come and gone, but Giggs has always been a constant and important presence at Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson doesn’t know what it’s like to win a Premiership crown without Giggs, and he probably doesn’t want to find out anytime soon.

Forward: Ruud Van Nistelrooy

Maybe the best pure scorer Sir Alex Ferguson ever had, Ruud Van Nistelrooy was a certifiable goal machine. His stats are jaw dropping: 150 goals in 219 starts in all competitions for United. 95 Premiership goals in only 5 seasons (which included an injury-plagued 2004-2005 season where he only made 17 league appearances). 44 goals in all competitions in 2002-2003, which is the second-highest mark in team history. He scored a United-record 38 goals in 47 appearances in Europe, and his all-time mark of 60 goals is second-best behind Real Madrid’s Raul. Despite only playing 219 times for United, he is eighth on their all-time scoring list. Out the club’s top ten scorers of all time, Van Nistelrooy has the fewest appearances by 74 matches.

Van Nistelrooy’s United career was almost over before it began as a serious knee injury derailed his transfer from PSV in 2000. However, he recovered and Sir Alex Ferguson stuck to his gut and brought the Dutch hitman to Old Trafford the following season whereupon he established himself as one of the best target men in the world. As opposed to previous seasons where Sir Alex relied on duos, trios, or even quartets of forwards, Van Nistelrooy thrived no matter what the situation was and always produced, even when his teammates weren’t pulling their weight. It seemed as if Van Nistelrooy was destined to spend his career at Old Trafford, eventually breaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s goalscoring mark.

However, it wasn’t to be. A training camp bust-up with Cristiano Ronaldo, a controversial statement over how the team missed David Beckham, and several personality clashes with Sir Alex over team selection and tactics ensured that Van Nistelrooy’s United career would end badly. After the 2005-2006 season, Van Nistelrooy went to Real Madrid for a fraction of what Sir Alex had paid for him in 2001. Nevertheless, his inglorious end doesn’t detract from his accomplishments, and Van Nistelrooy can rightly claim to be one of the greatest strikers in team history.

Forward: Eric Cantona

The King was voted United’s “Player of the Century,” and it’s hard to argue with the choice. The wildly popular French import keyed a turnaround in Manchester United’s (and Sir Alex Ferguson’s) fortunes after he arrived from hated rivals Leeds United in 1992. In fact, you can draw an imaginary line and analyze Manchester United’s accomplishments Before Cantona and After Cantona, and the disparity is striking. Before King Eric arrived to Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson’s United squad won one F.A. Cup (1989-1990), one League Cup (1991-1992), and one Cup Winner’s Cup (1990-1991 – although English clubs were banned from European play as a result of the Heysel Stadium Disaster). After Cantona arrived, they won 11 league titles, 4 F.A. Cups, 2 League Cups, 2 Champions League crowns (pending the 2009 Finals), and 1 FIFA Club World Cup.

Surely, Cantona wasn’t the sole reason for the turnaround. In fact he retired in 1997 and missed out on a majority of those “After Cantona” trophies. However, Cantona carried the team and was the squad’s talismanic figure during what should have been transitional years for Manchester United as the old guard of Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Mark Hughes, Lee Sharpe, and others were being phased out in favor of youngsters like Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Gary and Phil Neville. Instead, United persevered and Cantona won four Premiership crowns and two F.A. Cups. Along the way, he scored 82 goals in 185 total appearances for United.

Cantona’s skills and ability to create goals out of thin air made him a constant danger to score and nowhere was this more obvious than during the 1996 F.A. Cup Final against the Cream Suit Brigade of Liverpool. In the 85th minute of a scoreless game, David James punched a corner kick out to the edge of the penalty area where Cantona happened to be standing. The United skipper reared back and fired a shot past a helpless James to win the F.A. Cup for his squad. After the match, a classy Cantona even offered to let regular captain Steve Bruce, who missed the game due to injury, lift the trophy.

Much like with Roy Keane, Cantona’s disciplinary problems and his emotional outbursts overshadowed many of his on-field accomplishments. While many might remember his mixed-martial arts demonstration against a Crystal Palace fan, most United fans will remember him, instead, for his heroics on the pitch.

He’s back.

Yes, as most of you would have heard yesterday, Roy Keane is back in football management, taking over at Ipswich and given the remit of getting Ipswich promoted to the Premier League in the duration of his 2-year contract (in essence, getting promoted next season).

And if you thought the expectations were high last time around, this time he’s got his own reputation to live up to – a memorable promotion campaign with Sunderland and Premier League survival in his first year in the Premier League.

He’s made mistakes – his candid nature ensures that he’s the first one to accept that promotion does not make you a success, winning major trophies does – but his short managerial career has been more about highs than lows.

Yes, he walked out on Sunderland after their new American investor wanted Keane to move away from Manchester – not because he wouldn’t move but on principle because he couldn’t accept interference in his work. But on par his career has been successful at Championship level and he will be expected to bring Ipswich back to the top tier of English football.

The Ipswich board will have been told in frank terms what Keane would and would not accept, and in return they will have impressed upon Keane their desire to invest in the team and back their manager to get the club promoted. The potential rewards of getting to the Premier League ensure that teams with money will invest big, but the board will have also talked to Keane about his transfer market record and the need to do a better job in that area next time around.

Can Keane take Ipswich to the Premier League? It’s a tall task ahead of him, but in purely managerial terms he has the ability to get a good team promoted, it’s up to him and the club management to ensure that he has a good team in his hands come next season.

One thing you can be assured of – even if Keane wins a second promotion in his second full Championship campaign, he won’t look upon it as success. Nothing less than winning the Premier League will do for a man with Keane’s ambitions, although whether he gets the opportunity to do so at a club with the money and players capable of doing so (and a board willing to back him and not interfere) is another story.

Team lost a couple of games in a row? Sack the manager. Team five places in the league below where you’d like them to be? Sack the manager. Couple of expensive signings have a bit of a whinge? Sack the manager.

I’m not saying that it’s always wrong to change the man at the top, since sometimes (for example at any club where Graeme Souness has been manager) it is his fault. But examples of that are so rare in comparison to the knee jerk reaction sacking as to be a collector’s item.

Equally occasionally, a change of manager can bring about a dramatic resuscitation of a flagging team’s fortunes. Harry Redknapp at Spurs is the most recent example (although he has done it before at Pompey), although Bryan Robson at West Brom was possibly the most dramatic. But, inevitably, most have a short honeymoon period and then end up in exactly the same spot as their predecessor.

In contrast, the most successful teams are almost invariably those who choose a manager carefully and retain him for a number of years, through thick and thin. By success, I mean where a team has consistently overachieved in relation to what an objective observer would expect.

Ferguson at United, Wenger at Arsenal, Allardyce at Bolton, Curbishley at Charlton, Hughes at Blackburn, O’Neill at Leicester and now Villa – all have been allowed to compile a squad within their respective resources, then given time to ride out early difficulties and fuse that squad into a successful team. When they moved on, the team they had cause to overachieve dropped back down to its natural place – that is the value of a good, well-supported manager.

Let’s look at the Keane and Ince cases closely, because they are very different.

Roy Keane

Unlike many former players, Keane was an instant hit in management. He took a chaotic Sunderland from the bottom of the Championship to an automatic promotion spot in his first season. In his second season, he kept Sunderland in the Premiership, which is all that a newly promoted team ever asks for. This summer, he has made a number of signings which I thought to be sensible – reasonably cheap players who either have bags of Premier League experience or with plenty of potential. He also backed his ability to manage a number of difficult personalities.

And now, after a month of bad results, that all counts for nothing. He has left Sunderland, apparently, because he had a bad November. What sort of blinkered, nonsensical thinking is that? An objective observer would expect Sunderland to be fighting against relegation for at least this season, and possibly next. So the fact that they have slipped into the relegation zone should be bad news, but not the end of the world.

Numerate readers of the Premier League table would point out that Sunderland are 4 points from 13th, 5 points from 9th and 8 points from 7th. Hardly cast adrift, with no hope other than a radical overhaul. They should have stuck with the man who got them this far – the absolute earliest that Keane should have either been pushed or allowed to leave should be if and when Sunderland are mathematically relegated.

Paul Ince

Here the case is different. Ince was brought in to succeed Mark Hughes, a manager who has overachieved wherever he has gone, and someone who had caused Blackburn to challenge at levels they had no right to. A tough act to follow for any manager, let alone such an inexperienced one.

Ince was appointed on the basis of two good runs with lower league teams and – we can’t get away from this – who he is, a former Premiership star and the most prominent black coach in the country. He had never managed top class players, and stories of his own dressing room exploits hardly spoke well of his ability to get on with others. I didn’t think it was the right choice at the time, although I could see how and why it was made.

Now it is becoming clear that – fancy this? – Ince is a bit tactically naive and isn’t as good a manager as Hughes. Blackburn fans are entirely right to question why their board appointed Ince in the first place. However, if Blackburn’s board are sentient beings who think through the possible consequences of their actions before taking them, they must have known in the summer that Ince was going to need a bedding-in period and that certain star players might fancy following Hughes.

If they were going to sack Ince at the first sign of trouble, then they should never have appointed him. My message to them now is “stick by your man, or resign yourselves”.

As a last thought, what will happen if both are sacked? Well, how about this – Keane to Blackburn and Allardyce to Sunderland. Ince will sit on the sidelines for a couple of months before the merry-go-round picks him up again, although if he has any sense he’ll go back to the Championship and learn his new trade a bit better. After all, there’ll be plenty of vacancies opening up in the near future.

PS. Note that I resisted mentioning Newcastle for the entire duration of the article, something I would deserve a medal for if the managerial comings-and-goings in Geordieland weren’t so ridiculous as to be beyond parody.

Also See: Safe or Not? The 08-09 Premier League Manager Sack Race.

Penguinissimo has recently set up his own Manchester United blog, Penguin United. He also writes a regular column for the popular United blog Red Rants.

Roy Keane this week was in the press following remarks made about BSkyB’s Premier League coverage, which will have resonated with a growing number of football fans for whom the gloss and glam of the Premier League era is starting to wear a little thin. The constant hyperbole of fairly standard footballing fare, and the (hitherto thought impossible) overdose of football were themes visited in ‘The Football Business’ by David Conn (a highly recommended read), and Keane is the latest to voice his concern at what he described as “People like Richard Keys trying to sell you something that’s not there”. And he has a point.

Sky, in their defence are a company, bound not to the traditions and well-being of English football, but to a ruthless overseer (James Murdoch, who took over the reigns from his more illustrious father) and a board of digit-dwelling shareholders. Sky always knew that suckers like you and me would keep on buying regardless of the price and regardless of the often fairly average displays. Rupert Murdoch himself described the demand for football in England as inelastic, so confident was he that the paying public were likely to pay whatever Sky demanded.

But the quality of the football on show is subjective, and Sky are happy to make a 0-0 draw at Craven Cottage sound like the 1970 World Cup final, with Paul Konchesky cast as Carlos Alberto, and Clint Dempsey sliding butter-like into the Jairzinho role which he was so obviously born to play. They have a product to sell, and they have a vested interest in convincing you that is is the best money can buy.

The BBC, thanks to the frequently maligned license fee is under far less pressure to dissuade you from forming your own, perhaps even negative conclusion to the football it covers. Sadly, the football it covers is all too short in supply.

Channel Five, perhaps the most overlooked of all of our broadcasters has a refreshing approach which seems to be a deliberate response to the fake drama invented by its digital competitor. With little fan-fare, Colin Murray, Stanley Victor Collymore and Patrick Kevin Francis Michael Nevin present a reasoned, watchable overview of what is fairly standard, second-tier European football. It is a cold drink in the otherwise suffocating desert of football coverage on British television.

As money tightens in households up and down the country, and people are forced to mute the TV when Andy Gray waxes lyrical about a ten yard, sideways, Mamady Sidibe pass; maybe they’ll start to question with greater frequency the value of the opinion being offered by supposed experts of the game, who have clearly been polluted by fancy graphics and inflated wage packets.

The insipid punditry, designed to be as inoffensive as possible (lest one lose their invite to a golf game) is just another failure of the Murdoch mandated seven-day-a-week footballathon which continues to drive an ever widening stake between the elite of English football, and those who lie in its shadow.

 

This article was originally published at Terracist.com

Keeping a man of Roy Keane’s ambitions, determination and pride employed as a manager is not an easy matter. On one hand you want to give him the control and freedom to grow and develop and on the other hand you need to set boundaries and create a sustainable system that balances the books and, if things don’t work out, is able to adapt to life post-Keane.

Sunderland in my view have done fairly well in both supporting Keane and creating that system to ensure a long-term stay in the Premier League. And now, as Quinn says below, they’re working hard to ensure that a) Keane stays on for 2 more seasons and b) that they have a system in place that suits Sunderland’s objectives and Keane’s needs.

Quinn:

“We’re trying to get everything structurally correct so Roy feels he can walk in every day and is confident and happy with the way we’re going.

It’s about him knowing where in the next two and a half years are going and not from window-to-window.”

Which is a bit of a turnaround because it used to be ‘Roy Keane to launch for Patrick Vieira’. And vice versa. But a lot of today’s newspapers have the same story that Keano is desperate to bring his old nemesis to the Stadium of Light to boss Sunderland’s midfield.

The Frenchman is currently in Jose Mourinho’s squad at Inter Milan, but has not had anywhere near the impact in Serie A that he had in the Premier League with Arsenal. The Sunderland manager has refused to rule out a move. He said: “If I believe this player can give us something, I’m sure the board would back us. We’re always making enquiries about lots of players.

“How great is he? I don’t know. I don’t go down that road. I just know he was a bloody good player. He had good leadership skills, too. But not as good as mine!”

It has obviously been a while since Vieira was in England – the BBC has forgotten how to spell his surname!

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.

Thank you, Mr Keane, for expressing how many football fans feel about Warner in a direct, succinct manner.

Back story: Warner sends a letter to Keane saying:

“Your callous disregard for the rights of ’small’ countries to have their players represent them as enshrined in Fifa regulations reveals a mean streak in your character.

Your continuing insensitivity and disrespect for countries such as Trinidad and Tobago are hereby noted.”

Roy Keane’s response:

“The man’s a clown. He’s a clown. He’s worried about these international players – Yorkie’s not been match fit for me for a month or two and he expects him to go and play two games.

He’s a clown.”

Keane might not be winning the argument on logic, but clown sits better than any other c-word….

Two years ago, Sunderland were the laughing stock of the English Premier League. The Black Cats finished the 2005/06 season with an embarrassing 15 points – a record only topped by Derby this past season.

A new era began at the club in 2006, though, as legendary midfielder Roy Keane was appointed manager of the club. Under Keane, Sunderland recaptured their good form and ended up winning the Championship – giving the squad a chance at redeeming themselves in the Premier League.

This summer has seen a revitalization of the club. I would go as far as saying Roy Keane is beginning to wake this sleeping giant (the club has, after all, won the top flight of English football six times). The signings of players like Craig Gordon and El-Hadji Diouf signal the club’s intent, and this season could see a change in fortune for Sunderland fans. Here are the four reasons why:

1. Roy Keane. The former Manchester United captain learned from one of the best in the business at Old Trafford and is now becoming an assertive figure himself. Keane has brought the best out of players through his motivation and has shown that he can unearth gems as well. In Kenwyne Jones, Keane has an exciting striker who has proven he can score goals. Keane has also made other great signings such as promising goalkeeper Craig Gordon and pacy winger Kieran Richardson. This season we’ll see if his gamble on the eccentric El-Hadji Diouf will pay off.

2. The fans. Sunderland are known around the nation for having some of the most passionate fans. The Stadium of Light holds 49,000 of these crazed fans, which means a consistent fanbase brings financial stability to the club.

3. The veterans. Like his old Manchester United sides, Roy Keane has built a squad which blends youth with experience. Experienced heads like Dwight Yorke and Graham Kavanagh are great to have around because they can offer invaluable advice to the less experienced players in the club. In times of trouble, you can always count on these veterans to step up.

4. The youth. Every team needs youngsters in order to ensure long term stability, and Sunderland fans will be excited at the younger prospects that the club have. Even key members of the starting eleven are young; Craig Gordon is only 25 years old – for a keeper that’s like being 18 or 19, so he still has about 10 years at the top.

Richardson, one of the most exciting players Sunderland has, is only 23 years old. With his pace, the sky is the limit, and a powerful shot will allow him to pick up a few goals this year.

The third key youngster is Jones, the 23 year-old striker from Trinidad and Tobago. Jones impressed greatly in his debut campaign at Sunderland last season and will be looking to better his goal tally this term, though he will start the season as a spectator thanks to a knee injury.

It is these four reasons that make me certain that Sunderland is on the verge of making that next step up. Perhaps not this season, but within the next few years, Sunderland should be a side challenging for a spot in European competitions. With a solid financial backing, a good manager, great fans, and an excellent blend of youth and experience, the sky is the limit for the Black Cats.

Brian Lofrumento writes at Premiership Talk.