Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/213780
23 Sport maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2013 OPINION Good cop bad cop With Martin O'Neil they will have that stability off the pitch and a solid head on it. He has always been on of the Premier League good guys and a fan favourite at any of the clubs he managed. His managerial portfolio is an impressive one and with that he has had to deal with many of the league's big players. That appointment surprised no one, but the move that followed in tandem sent a shock wave throughout the country. Roy Keane, who famously walked out of the squad during the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea was to be made assistant manager. Wow, now that takes guts. Roy Keane has questionable leadership skills and is not known for having a soft side. At Old Trafford he is regarded as a legend but his career at United was one which was highlighted by a horror tackle on Haaland in which he later admitted he tried to hurt his opponent due to an off field spat. His bust ups with Fergie are well documented as were his comments made to United's home supporters. With the upcoming talent he was equally harsh and he certainly never showed a soft side. As a manager at Sunderland he struggled once more in dealing with the younger footballers, with then chairman Nail Quinn stating this week that he never put his arm around any of them, despite being manager. Roy Keane learnt from the Mark Strijbosch THE new Irish set up has the elements of a good old fashioned American cop movie. Martin and his side kick Roy have taken the reigns and delighted the fans with an impressive 3-0 win over Latvia in a game where the performance spoke a lot more than the result. Under Giovanni Trapattoni we were used to watching an Ireland which absorbed play well in the deeper parts of the pitch, allowing opposing players time to settle on the ball, while in the meantime being difficult to beat. That set up helped them achieve the unlikely and qualify for the last set of Euros, a feat they deserved however didn't quite live up to. When the group stages were drawn the Irish simply gave up. Spain, Italy and Croatia? No chance for us they thought. They finished bottom with zero points, but that wasn't the point. They were simply happy to be there and had at last qualified for a major international tournament. Everyone loved Trapattoni, he got the job done in a quiet and effective way and was punished by that handball from Thierry Henry in the road to the 2010 World Cup play off. Martin O'Neal and Roy Keane very best in Sir Alex Ferguson, but in that way he also learnt from the toughest and it is perhaps thats side of Fergie which rubbed off on the Irish hard man. As a media pundit Roy Keane never held back and I do believe he was not employed their for his tactical knowledge but rather as people would pay top dollar for anything controversial he might cough out. On national level however things may change. Signs of a softer Keane may be visible and he insists the partnership between him and O'Neil is not one of good cop versus bad cop. With O'Neil's calm and patient manner Keano might learn a thing or two and this could be the learning curve he needs, with a suitable mentor, rather than diving in at the deep end head first. His managerial career never really got going and fizzled out at Ipswich Town and this will offer him the perfect rout back into it. His first challenge would be to win over the fans and the media however let's remember that he is not the main man anymore and Martin O'Neil will be considered as the driving force of the national team. Keane's role is important, however I feel he is gaining far more from this deal than the national set up. Its a second chance in the game and this opportunity to redeem oneself only happens once in a lifetime, we are all hoping Roy Keane will come out of this spell all the calmer and certainly more the wiser. Pursuits Across 1. Sparkler (7) 4. Wreck (5-2) 8. One of the 12 apostles (11) 12. Large cat (4) 13. Lash (4) 14. Picture border (5) 15. Snuggle (6) 17. Will (5) 22. Exclamation of mild dismay (4) 23. Gaze fixedly (5) 24. Unspecified in number (4) 25. Strange and mysterious (5) 28. Jewish girl (6) 30. Person who is in love (5) 32. Ground (4) 34. Matures (4) 35. Christ (4,2,5) 38. Young tree (7) 39. Like a spider (7) Sudoku Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box. 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