Eurosport - Sun, 22 Feb 14:57:00 2009
Roy Keane never minced his words as a player. Neither did he as a manager. And it seems he is just as outspoken as an unemployed man.
The Irishman's latest outburst - his first since quitting Sunderland - is full of Keane classics, as he rages at all those who irked him during his tenure at the Stadium of Light.
First up is Clive Clarke, the Black Cats defender who suffered a severe heart attack while on loan at Leicester in 2007. Keane says: "I'm shocked they found one (a heart), you could never tell by the way he plays."
Next in the firing line is billionaire Sunderland owner Ellis Short, with whom the former Manchester United legend never really saw eye to eye. Keane says: "He had read my book and I felt he was thinking from the start that I wasn't for him."
And inevitably, some, albeit unnamed, players were unable to avoid a blast. Keane says: "I would be giving contracts to players I didn't rate that highly. But I needed the bodies." And how about this one: "Players had been taking the p*** out of the club for years. If they wanted them smiling all the time, they should have employed Roy Chubby Brown."
Other excerpts from the interview, which appears in the News of the World, include revelations that three Sunderland players were caught on video with a girl (Keane: "I had to sort it out") and that Dwight Yorke wanted to take time off for "business" reasons (Keane: "I said, 'No!'").
But, and perhaps of more relevance to Gossip Shop, Keane did confirm that he is not, after all, "going backpacking round Mexico", and that he wants a return to management as soon as possible. Get those Dictaphones and beep machines ready.
Another manager who never fails to entertain, and who GS misses just as badly, is Jose Mourinho. But there is good news: the former Chelsea boss has said he wants to return to England!
According to the Sunday Express, the Internazionale coach has told close friends he wants to quit Italy and return to the Premier League in the summer.
According to his pal, the Special One does not rate Italian football too highly and he is pining for a return to the hustle and bustle of the Best League in the World (TM). Manchesters United and City are bound to be interested, as are Newcastle.
Staying on a management tip for the time being, the Sunday Mirror reports that Rafa Benitez is set to quit Anfield after rejecting Liverpool's fourth contract offer.
The Merseyside club's American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks expected the Spaniard to put pen to paper on Friday on a deal that would see him stay until 2013. But Benitez's latest rebuttal could yet see him leave in the summer.
And the Sunday Express reports that Real Madrid - keen to maintain their prolific record of hiring seven (or so) new managers every season - are lying in wait, the predatory beasts that they are.
Meanwhile, in less earth-shattering news (but only slightly less so), Reds midfielder Damien Plessis is set for a spell in the Championship after Benitez realised that the Frenchman isn't really that good, despite a promising start.
Across the park at Goodison, Everton boss David Moyes has insisted he will not be forced into selling any of his star players. The likes of Tim Howard, Joleon Lescott, Phil Neville, Phil Jagielka, Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta have all been instrumental in the Toffees' excellent recent form, but Moyes will refuse any offer that comes in for them. And with Manchester City still on the prowl, it's only a matter of time.
Elsewhere, Gareth Barry is ready to commit his future to Aston Villa, just six months after he was angling after a move to Liverpool - but only if Villa finish in a Champions League spot. Funny what a bit of success can do, isn't it?
And finally, Arsenal are eyeing up a swoop for Brazil ace Felipe Melo (the 'new Gilberto Silva' according to The Observer), Manchester City striker Daniel Sturridge has cut his massive pay demands in a bid to save his career (News of the World) and Middlesbrough midfielder Mohamed Shawky is set to quit the Riverside (Sunday Mirror).
Comment 1 - 11 of 11
RAFA GOING NOWHERE.GIVE HIM THE CHNACE AND MONEY TO BUY GOOD PLAYERS LIKE BARRY,VILLA,THE BRAZILLIAN START IN PALMERIAS ETC AND SEE IF WE CANT COMPETE WITH MANU.CAN PEOPLE NOT THINK RAFA IS MANAGING FROM NOTHING?HE HAS JUST FEW POUNDS STERLIN TO MANAGE AND GET AVERAGE PLAYERS.WHATELSE SHOULD HE DO?USE HIS MONEY?EH?REASON PLEASE
WHY IS THE ENGLISH MEDIA AND SOME CHELSEA SUPPORTERS SO MUCH OBSESSED WITH MOURINHO.THE MAN WAS ALSO LOSING MATCHES BEFORE HE WAS SACKED AND ALWAYS BLAMED HIS TEAMS DEFEAT ON BAD OFFICIATING AND EVERYBODY SO SOON FORGETS ABOUT THAT.BETTER FORGET ABOUT HIM COMING BACK TO PL TO MAKE ENGLISH PRESS GET NONSENSE AND FABRICATIONS TO WRITE. WE ALREADY READ A LOT ABOUT THEIR MADE UP STORIES ABOUT PLAYER TRANSFERS AND WHAT HAPPENS IN TOP TEAMS THAT START LOSING.
I agree wit ya on dat 1 stephen. ! s
No, hold on a minute, the woman was recording the three Sunderland players in a video, haha!
For the love of god you silly Bristish article! If you went to any bother researching the Keane interview at all you would have found out that the interview didn't appear in your stupid News of the World but in the Irish Times back in Ireland with journalist Tom Humphries with whom Keane gives ALL his interviews! It's just typical that you think it all comes from your bloody country! Plus he wasn't raging when he gave that interview. He was telling it how it is like he always does!
Mr. Abramovich, "GET ON THE PHONE TO MOURINHO, ASAP!" before Man City offer him ten times his wages, Newcastle, don't make me laugh, as if he'd ever go there!
If Rafa goes to Madrid, does that mean Ramos could go the other way ??? Would Jose go toanywhere else other than the chavs ? Doubt it.
mourinho would never ever ever go anywhere near that place my god who writes this crud
bring mourinho bak 2 chelsea..:D
lyk d three sunderland players caught on video wif a girl!!!!!!!!
mourinho to newcastle. haha
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