Roy Keane's most famous rants may have been during his time at Manchester United and involved Alf Inge Haaland and prawn sandwiches, but here's our selection of his best rants during his time as Sunderland boss...
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."
Your Comments
KevG
"Sunderland has too many players. A bloated squad of average and poor players crying about life in the NE. There are about 7 players that are not good enough to play in the premiership and 2 or 3 that are not good enough to play in the championship. Perhaps Keane thought he would give them a go to come good and if it did not work out he could loan them out? If there were more average teams in London he could have. It's a pity the good players got injured and the average ones didn't. Keane bought too many players that were not good enough and could not get a refund, so he cleared off."
Lobda_Bollikov
"Poor old Javier - he was just trying to give de Cork knacker some praise like and all of a sudden don't the nationalists start goin mental on him like.
Listen lads, it's about the football. And he was complimentin' the man. They say you can take the bog outta their ears but you'll never haul their ears outta the bog. Evolve (like)."
truegunner619
"johnfromfrance......... "looking at Europe rather than relegation". Come on, even if you put keano in his prime into that team they would struggle, poor squad of average players Richardson, Reid, and mercinaries like Cisse, Diouf etc. Football is a team game, and when you have players who, as keano pointed out, won't run for the team you can't expect any reward. By the way im not defending Keane, i think he was wrong to turn his back on the club, even if the fans we're getting on his back a bit to much, its part and parcel with the job. But as an Irish man i've seen him walk out on a team before........"
Mutid
"chrisman442000 - did you type that with your butt as you are certainly talking out of it? If you don't like Prem Footy, f**k off to www.balletfortossers.com. Why are we behind Europe? In what way have we ever been behind S America? Keano's a LEGEND, I don't think he's got into management from the start and the inevitable has happened. So what? It looks like it was driving the man to drink, so maybe he's thought - rightly - to get the f**k out. Get him coaching at OT or something."
aggerstheman
"tut tut javier, he aint Brittish.
Keane doesnt even call himself Irish. "im from Cork", is him response to where he is from. Watch you back, he aint got nothign to do anymore. He's after you."
RedArmyCommando
"Javier don't be a git that man would do you Alfie style for calling him British and I for one would fully support such actions against you. Secretly are you a bbc plant in here!? Only they would make that kind of error of nationality you twit."
chrisman442000
"its a sad reflection of the football punters of england that Keane is so revered, for simply doing nothing more than saying some fairly honest things. If thats all it takes for you ppl to start gushing and fawning over a manager, its really no surprise English football is way behind the other top nations in europe and Sth America. Get over yourselves, and get over Keane. He may be a good rent a quote, may be (comparatively) lucid, but he is an awful manager. Yeah he got sunderland promoted. But since then, his team selections, and building of a squad have resembled the actions of a 7 yr old with attention defecit disorder, who also doesnt know much about football. Now Sunderland are lumbered with 90mil worth of mediocre dross, probably on long contracts and big wages. If Keane thought 3rd from bottom was 'as far as he could take' sunderland, it would have been nice if he'd let people know this before he urinated all that money up the wall. Real classy and brave Roy. What a man. Obviously has no concept of reality, something he regularly accuses other people of. Sunderland will pay the price over the next 18 months as they try to offload the garbage. Chimbonda will sit in the stands for the next 4 seasons, picking up his 60k a week. And if Roy Keane, the renowned hard man, cant take a few boos, then I guess hes been shown up for what he really is - a pampered, insecure, childish, selfish, arrogant bully. Great player though. But as a manager, as a leader of a multi million pound, multi national company, beyond a joke. When he looks back on the last year I hope he's thouroughly embarrased with himself and ashamed of his conduct, because he should be. Forget the 'straight talking' stand up act. Look at his footballing descisions. "
nickc
"I'm a Liverpool fan and even I would say it's hard to find much to disagree with in these quotes (except maybe the one where he's surprised the FA went afte rhim after admiotting assault). Honest to a fault and surprisingly sensitive. Sadly, much less interesting post-match interviews to follow. "
Foss
"Initially I was gutted, but now certain things come to light - you cannot run a team by fear, people may say they respect you, but only til your gone and then teh truth comes out. I'm a lifelong Sunderland fan and thought it was great when he came, and yeah, he did do well for a time, but it appears that this season he has lost the plot.
If the stories are true, then I'm sure we'll end up in a nice, safe mid-table position, with a decent manager, who may not play the nicest football in the world but will treat the players like people. I honestly hope that fat Sam gets the job, cos he seems to be a much better man manager, and I don't think you'd go against him either. He's no push over, but can you see him taking swipes at players a la Ferguson (or Keane). And if he can do well at Sunderland then it only makes the Mags )and Mr Cashley) look like bigger pillocks with their Santa Keegan escapades. As Mr K once said, "I'd love it" if we went and got Sam and he was a big success, even if it was just to make them look like an even bigger laughing stock now that SuperKK is taking them to court for even more money!!"
Herbert7
"Tears are steaming down my face as I read this. This man is deep. A bit too introspective maybe, but deep. I now remember why I've always loved him, telling it like it is.
Enough ar*e kissing for now."
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