IRELAND MANAGER MARTIN O’Neill has urged assistant Roy Keane to end his long-running feud with former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson.
During their 12 years together at United, eight of which Keane spent a captain, the pair helped bring seven English Premier League titles, one Champions League trophy and four FA Cups to Old Trafford.
But the relationship between the duo became increasingly bitter since Keane left United for Scottish giants Celtic after launching a withering attack on some of his team-mates during an interview with United’s in-house television channel, MUTV, that was never broadcast, in November 2005.
Since then both Ferguson and Keane have criticised one another in their respective autobiographies, but O’Neill said now was the right time for them to bury the hatchet.
“Manchester United have been incredibly successful and these men were two fundamental factors in this,” O’Neill told the Guardian.
“The manager’s obviously very important, having been able to oversee success for such a considerable amount of time,” added O’Neill, who like Keane played under celebrated manager Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest.
“To stay at any football club for such a length of time (Ferguson was in charge at Old Trafford for 26-and-a-half years) is incredible; to stay at a club like Manchester United that was demanding then sustaining such success is even more so.
“Roy Keane was a vital cog in that. If you were to ask Sir Alex Ferguson, I’d bet one of the top three or four signings he made would be Roy Keane. And he signed some very fine players. That’s how important Roy was to him.
‘It’d be nice’
“The two of them were brilliant for each other over a number of years and I think that’s something that shouldn’t be forgotten over time.
“People can have their arguments and who am I to step into anyone else’s argument, who am I to intervene?
“I’m not, but what I maintain is that the two of them were magnificent for each other and from an outsider’s viewpoint it’d be nice if at some stage or another they recognise that publicly.
“I know that deep down they know they were superb for each other,” O’Neill insisted.
Originally published 18.46
This stinks of “Jobs for the Boys” to b honest. Has Micko done much at underage/schools/club level (genuine question)?
Denis.List’s his experience right there in the article. Leinster have made a similar appointment with Cullen next season
And Cullen will be working with the Senior squad, Micko is looking after the A side.
Micko hopefully can pass on his great technical knowledge especially lineout work. As you say thou the back’s coach appointment is the crucial one
With POC still in situ ,it’s really hard to see what MOD could possibly bring after a stint coaching at schools level. This smacks of a very Munster job for one of the boys
Not a fan of players that r just retired nd then fall in coaching same players….can cloud decisions., for example is mick goin to recommend a player that he was great friends with to be dropped if his form is poor….???
He is retired 2 seasons at this stage. A big turnover of the player’s at munster since then.
He is retired 2 seasons at this stage. A big turnover of the player’s at munster since then.
Yea retired two years but not too many guys he wouldnt have trained or played with.It could be a great appointment but personally I wouldnt agree.
The impressive Rob Penney was shafted by the Munster Rugby board in order to make way for their good old boy, Anthony Foley, to become head coach; who in turn is intent on employing his good old boys instead of seeking the direct input of those with an enlightened, outside perspective. Group-think will now prevail.
Munster will be the big loser because Foley won’t have the same progressive-minded outlook and plan that Penney has. Munster will regress into their shell under Anthony Foley, and the slack will be compensated for by utter blarney from Foley and the media.
As a Leinster fan I hope your wrong.
If insider knowledge points to foley knowing something that mod can bring then there’s nothing wrong with appointing the right man for the job. If he’s giving his old pal a leg up it will fall apart along with his own career.
I don’t believe Anthony foley wants to throw away his carreer to give his mate a job.
Penney wasnt shafted.
Micko is looking after the a’s. Not first team. Might have little to do with the seniors.
Must be a pisser for Penny to see next years coaching ticket been lined up , could this be announced by Munster after Pennys gone ..
They let the cat out of the bag early enough this year bout him moving. Why should nexus years coaching ticket be any different? I’m sure he doesn’t hold a grudge.
Hope I’m wrong but has a ” jobs for the boys” ring to it
Micko being linked to the A squad hints fairly strongly that Ian costello could be the backs coach for the seniors.
this time last year there was howls about the fact that not one province had a native head-coach, now there’s howls when a native is appointed head coach & opts to select another native to be part of his coaching team?
Micko was known as a top-notch lineout analyst in his playing days, he had a very large part to play in the strength of the munster lineout in the past as he analysed the opposition lineouts & ran those patterns in training.