Reuters Soccer Blog

Ipswich back in spotlight with Keane appointment

Roy Keane is back, with a new gig as manager of Ipswich Town.

Whatever else the appointment will do, this seems a surefire way for Ipswich to reacquaint themselves with the spotlight. Keane generates a huge amount of interest in Britain and considering he’s already engineered one successful promotion campaign, with Sunderland, it could be a good move from a purely footballing point of view as well (assuming he has some money to spend).

Ipswich, of course, have had a few very high profile managers. The list includes Alf Ramsey and (for a brief spell) Jackie Milburn, as well as Robson, and that’s just the footballing royalty.

Will Keane’s stay be as fleeting as Milburn’s or will that legendary charisma help him do for the club what Ramsey and Robson managed? Ipswich were one of the biggest clubs in England when I was growing up, in the age of Robson, Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen.

How exotic those two Dutch names seemed then, eh?

FILE PHOTO: Then Manchester United captain Roy Keane tackles Ipswich Town’s Hermann Hreidarsson during their Premier League match at Portman Road August 22, 2000.

Anyone remember the score?

Friday afternoon question: Should Giggs win PFA player of the year?

Ryan Giggs has probably never received the recognition he deserves for his contribution to Manchester United’s success over the last 15 years.

No other player has collected the full set of medals for all the silverware which has filled the Old Trafford trophy cabinet over that time. Yet several, including Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and Cristiano Ronaldo, have received the major individual awards which have eluded the man who has played more games for United than anyone else.

Giggs started in the first team as a 17-year-old winger famously likened by his manager Alex Ferguson to a “spaniel chasing a slip of paper in the wind”. Ferguson recently described Giggs as the ultimate professional whose burning desire to continue playing at the highest level at the age of 35 should make him a role model for all aspiring footballers.

Giggs has unsurprisingly lost the raw pace which, combined with his skills, used to leave defenders with what his manager called “twisted blood”. But he more than compensates now with a vast experience which allows him to play in a variety of positions.

Ferguson played Giggs as a holding central midfielder in the recent Premier League win over Chelsea and he was used as a striker in Sunday’s FA Cup victory over Derby County. Typically, the Welshman gave a masterclass of passing and clever touches which created three goals and prompted more calls for him to be named England’s Footballer of the Year.

From exuberant spaniel to top dog. That would be a fitting reward for one of British football’s most popular and enduring players.

If Keane could not command respect, who can?

Roy Keane quitting as Sunderland boss was not a huge shock but I’m surprised by reports many of the players were happy about his departure.

The former Manchester United midfielder seemed an inspired appointment by chairman Niall Quinn two years ago despite having no managerial experience — apart from playing under Brian Clough and Alex Ferguson.

The trophies he won as a player, his burning desire for success, a refusal to accept second-best and the sheer force of his personality seemed ideal qualities to galvanise Sunderland into becoming more than England’s best yo-yo club.

The Irishman made his mark early on by leaving three players behind when they were late for the team bus to an away game and proved up to the job on the pitch too as he led Sunderland to promotion back to the Premier League.

However, just as in his days as a rampaging midfielder for club and country, he seemed to struggle with players who weren’t up to his standard and he was exasperated by those who were not 100 percent committed.

You would think that the likes of Anton Ferdinand (8 million pounds) Pascal Chimbonda (£5m) and Andy Reid (£4m) would be delighted that such a man considered them worth bringing to his club for seemingly inflated prices but they have hardly paid him back with sparkling performances.

Don’t blame Gallas — he was trying to do a captain’s job

“There’s a lot of cover-ups sometimes and players need to stand up and be counted. I’m not sure that happens a lot at this club.” — Roy Keane, May 7, 2002.

“When you play for Manchester United nothing should interfere with what you are doing during the week and during a match. I have felt that one or two of the younger players have slackened off in training. I have not been happy about it. I have said it to them but maybe I have had to say it in public for them to sit up and take notice.” — Roy Keane, Feb 19, 2004.

And he did it again in 2005.

So what’s new about William Gallas revealing ‘secrets’ from Arsenal’s dressing room? Nothing. And what’s so terrible about a captain hitting out at his team mates when they fail to deliver?

Gallas was doing the job of a captain at a club without a trophy since 2005.

Alright, Gallas is no Keano, but we cannot blame him for trying.

After all, it can get a lot worse in Germany. I remember in 1999 Bixente Lizarazu reportedly slapping Lothar Matthaeus in the face during a training session at Bayern Munich.