Roy Keane

Today the news that Roy Keane will be stepping down as manager at Sunderland Football Club was broken to the world.  A press release on their website stated simply;

Roy Keane has parted company with Sunderland AFC after 27 months in charge

Both parties reached an amicable agreement this morning.

Keane, who decided the time had come to stand down, took over Sunderland in August 2006 when the team were languishing near the bottom of the Championship.

That’s right, a manager who was able to take a team 20 places higher in the league in two seasons, along with the significant achievement that is “breaking into the Premiership”.  I think it’s a shame we no longer trust in a manager… nor give them anywhere like enough time to work on a team.  All that said, today’s announcement was “amicable”, I think Keano simply thought it was time to go.

When Roy left United he gave an interview which made his clarity of thought very clear.  Keano didn’t care for the ceremony, and the fond farewell.  He’d seen it coming a long way off.

There were no tears. None. It was done. It’s the people around you that get upset. Family members, wife, parents. They care about you, so they worry. For me, it was mostly acceptance. It had been coming and then it happened. It was the right thing for United, maybe not the right thing for Roy Keane, maybe not for Alex Ferguson, but for the club. I always said, when the day came, I’d be ready. Locker cleaned out the evening before: I was ready.

Sounds like he knew exactly what was going to happen, in great detail.  I don’t believe there’s been a single surprise in Keano’s life since.  If you look at it from afar, that clarity of thought was everything about the way he played.  He thought it, then made it happen.

“Happiness is not being afraid.” Roy Keane

Here’s some absolute gems in case you forgot what the fire in Roy Keane was really about.

December 4th, 2008
Categories: Football . Author: Dave

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