The Managerial Rants Of Roy Keane

ON HAVING A ROW...
"What you tend to find in the Premier League is that people seem to get upset dead easily."



ON HAVING A RANT...
"It has been a trademark of mine to let off steam and I will not get away from that."



ON HIS HYPOCRITE PREMIER LEAGUE PEERS...
"There are a lot of hypocrites out there. The same bosses talking about players showing respect have been sent off themselves for abusing officials.

"How can the players show respect if their manager does not? There are a lot of hypocrites out there, a lot, a lot of hypocrites in football. Managers are coming out and saying we have got to respect the officials, and they are being sent off themselves. You watch a lot of managers - and sometimes it is not the manager, it is their staff, which is worse because the manager is letting the staff carry on that way."



ON DEALING WITH CRITICISM FROM SUPPORTERS...
"I don't always agree but a lot of time fans are spot on. Sometimes we get nasty letters. Sue in the office, well I don't think she shows me many, just the odd one when she thinks I should know what is going on. She gave me one last week. This man was having a go at the way we played (pause). So I rang him up and we had a chat."



ON PLAYERS SNUBBING A TRANSFER TO SUNDERLAND...
"Priorities have changed for footballers and they are being dictated to by their wives and girlfriends. I find it surprising that geography seems to play such a big part, or that players let their wives decide. I think it's weak.

"Why is there such a big attraction with London? It would be different if it was Chelsea, Arsenal or maybe Tottenham, but they go a smaller club just because it's in London, then it's clearly because of the shops."



ON PLAYERS BEING CONTENT TO SIT IN THE STANDS...
"I'm talking about players who are different animals to when I was a player. They've had opportunities to go to clubs, particularly on loan, and were reluctant to do it.

"Footballers are changing these days. Some don't love the game as much as they should do. If you love football you want to play. Some professionals have no intention of moving anywhere. There's one or two of those at every club. They are going nowhere unless Real Madrid came in for them.

"It doesn't annoy me but it's a sad reflection on the people themselves. One or two have had opportunities in the last few weeks to go to very good clubs, at a very good level, just to get games. There's no hidden agenda. They said no.

"Footballers are a strange breed these days, trust me. I thought I was strange."



ON THE RESPECT CAMPAIGN...
"I've got big question marks over this Respect campaign. I did at the time when it was launched. It's just a PR gimmick.

"I've got no problems with referees making mistakes - I've made loads - but when it's big decisions constantly going against you, you get angry.

"And to rub salt in the wounds, every Monday morning I get calls from the assessors for my thoughts on the ref. I don't want to ring Keith Hackett every week but when big decisions constantly go against you, you get angry."



ON BEING CHARGED BY THE FA AFTER AN ALLEGED RANT AT MARTIN ATKINSON...
"The last time the FA had a murder lawyer against me and he was absolutely brilliant - for some comments in my book about some Norwegian player at Man City. I bet he was expensive, just to make sure they won the bloody case. Not that you get a fair hearing."



ON JACK WARNER, THE BOSS OF THE TRINIDAD & TOBAGO FOOTBALL FEDERATION...
"The man's a clown. He sent me a letter and he was quite happy to give it to the media. I spoke to him on Wednesday and I told him what I thought about him and where I think he should go. He is writing these letters and it is always under the Fifa heading just to impress everybody. If he is vice president of Fifa, then God help us.

"People worry about the game and agents and directors of football and managers losing their jobs - we should be worried about people like him."



ON MEDIA PUNDITRY...
"A lot of people out there, punters, are getting brain-washed by what's real and what's not real. That gets to the players sometimes. We're on about league tables after a week; teams losing two games, it's 'a crisis'.

"There was a debate yesterday about Arsene Wenger. What that man's done for the game! And we're giving these people air-time. I wouldn't listen to these people in the pub, and yet they're on television constantly.

"Anytime I watch a game on television I have to turn the commentators off. They say: 'He's playing really well' and I'm thinking: 'No, he's not'. My advice to anyone is don't listen to any of the experts. Will Arsene Wenger be remembered in 25, 50, 100 years' time? Bet your life he will. Will any of these people on the television yesterday be remembered? None whatsoever."



ON BEING A PUNDIT...
"I was asked last week by ITV to do the Celtic game. A couple of weeks before that I was asked to do the United game against Celtic at Old Trafford. I think I've done it once for Sky. Never again. I'd rather go to the dentist."



ON PLACING LIAM MILLER ON THE TRANSFER LIST
"I don't go around with a stick, threatening people. We have given players the benefit of the doubt but enough is enough.

"I'm sure there will be a few reasons. I am prepared to give the benefit of the doubt on a number of occasions. I'm not the type to look for trouble. If he is late once or twice, even three or four maybe well and good, but when it is five, six or seven times, you have to draw the line.

"I have to look at his team-mates, players who come in regularly on time and train, the supporters who spend a lot of money up and down the country.

"If you are driving to work, don't get in the car with Liam Miller because he has more car crashes than anyone I know."



ON PLAYERS ATTACKING FANS...
"I wanted to do an Eric Cantona loads of times. I wanted to do it everywhere."



ON BEING BOOED DURING THE CARLING CUP TIE WITH NORTHAMPTON...
"I just had a feeling this morning that everyone felt we just had to turn up and we'd win - fans, players, everyone seemed to think we didn't need to try.

'We were at walking pace, there was no one sprinting, the passing was awful, no one was running off the ball, supporters were booing, abusing me towards the end. People have short memories but I'll remember that. You always remember the idiots."



ON BEATING NORTHAMPTON ON PENALTIES...
"It was a bad, bad night. This is the worst of my career and I have had some - losing titles, doing my cruciates, sendings-off - and this is up there with them.

'It was a shambles from start to finish. You can't expect to turn up and win without running your socks off. The feelings I have are anger, frustration, disappointment and I could think of a few harsher words but don't think you could print them."