Help or Hindrance? Can Roy Keane help revive Aston Villa’s fortunes?
As an Aston Villa fan, I am intrigued to see what Roy Keane will bring to the club. He has returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2008, as assistant manager at Villa and brings with him a mixed managerial record. He gained promotion with Sunderland when in charge in 2006, but was sacked from Ipswich in 2011. Since then, he has taken a break from football management and we have had the pleasure of seeing him on our televisions as a pundit. Alongside Lee Dixon and Adrian Chiles on ITV, he regularly demonstrated his dry wit and didn’t hold back with his brutally honest comments.
Roy Keane ruled himself out of the Celtic job before joining up with Paul Lambert at Aston Villa
He now joins a club in somewhat of a limbo. The saga surrounding Randy Lerner’s proposed sale of the club rumbles on. The American put Villa up for sale back in May, but has said this week that he is focused on the new season, suggesting the sale is possibly on hold.
Alongside Lambert, Keane has a big job on his hands at the club. There are a lot of young players who have Premier League experience, but they need to step up this year. Can he bring the best out of players like Nathan Baker, who seems to have enormous potential? Fabian Delph had a good season last season, but you just feel the 24-year-old has more to give. New signings Joe Cole and Philip Senderos will hardly set the Premier League alight, particularly the latter. Keane’s influence will need to be felt immediately if our transfer activity continues along the same route.
In November 2013 it was announced that Martin O’Neill had been named the Republic of Ireland manager and that Roy Keane had been appointed his assistant
How will he work as an assistant rather than the main man though? This is the same role he assumes with the Republic of Ireland where he is assistant to former Villa manager, Martin O’Neill and he has insisted in the press he is happy to also be alongside Paul Lambert.
Ian Culverhouse was dismissed as Lambert’s assistant in May, with no reason given following an internal investigation. Rumours about his aggressive training methods were often cited though, and if that is true, I am surprised by Keane’s appointment. When even Sir Alex Ferguson says you have a ‘savage tongue’, your reputation will precede you! From an outsider’s perspective, he seems cold and unapproachable. If I was a player, I would be apprehensive.
Keane won the Championship with Sunderland in 2006-07, yet resigned from his post in December 2008
On the other hand, he proved himself as a formidable leader at Manchester United during his playing days, and perhaps it is better to have him in your changing room fighting your cause, rather than against you.
I am wary of his cold mannerisms and renowned temper, but that might be what our youngsters need to push on. We will see what impact Keane has had on the squad (if any!) on August 16th, when the campaign kicks off against Stoke City.
How do you see the partnership working between Lambert and Keane? Can Villa build on a disappointing 2013-14 campaign?
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