I know deep down that when I lose my rag, and I might be in the right – it doesn’t matter – I know I’m going to be the loser. I will lose out. Saipan and the World Cup – ultimately I lost. Or when I left United, when I could have stayed a bit longer if it had been handled differently. I was the one who lost; I know that. That’s the madness of me. When I’m going off on one, even when I might be right, there’s a voice in my head going: ‘You’ll pay for this.’ That’s the self-destruct button. I don’t know if it’s low self-esteem. Things might be going really well, and I don’t trust it: ‘It’s not going to last,’ or ‘Why am I getting this? Why are things going so well? I’ll fuck things up a little bit, then feel better myself.’ I might be buying a car: ‘Who do you think you are buying a new car?’ And I’ll fuck it up. I’ll drag things down around me.”
It was always going to happen. Roy Keane’s dual role with Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland seemed too good to be true. And, as he details in his recent autobiography ‘The Second Half’, Keane is always suspicious of things going too well in his life.
His return to the Premier League hasn’t been easy. After an unexpectedly good start, Villa have gone nine games without a win and are just two points outside the relegation zone ahead of their clash with Burnley on Saturday. But, in many ways it’s been the perfect situation for Keane. He’s been floating under the radar at club level, simply getting on with coaching again with little media attention. After losing his way post-Ipswich, his time in the Midlands has been an important step for him and his relationship with Paul Lambert has been a solid one. He seemed content.
And maybe that’s why Keane has decided to walk away. Yes, he always maintained he would leave Villa if his work there began to affect his Republic of Ireland role. But the timing is strange. Firstly, to offer his resignation the day before a crucial Premier League game seems rash. It’s certainly unfair to Lambert and a group of players he’s worked closely with on a daily basis for the last six months. The news is sure to affect an already-struggling dressing-room on the eve of an important assignment. The timing fuels the conspiracies.
The Republic of Ireland don’t play again until next March. After a busy few months knee-deep in Euro 2016 qualifiers, Keane doesn’t have to worry about his international role until March of next year. But, there is another possible reason for his departure from Villa.
Perhaps, after that well-documented incident at the Portmarnock Hotel earlier this month, he feels he has something to prove to those who continually doubt him. At a heated press conference after the Irish team lost to Scotland in Glasgow, journalists rounded on Keane and questioned whether he was a hindrance or a help considering the constant string of headlines he’s courted since taking up the position as Martin O’Neill’s assistant. Perhaps Keane wants to show the detrators and the critics that he’s not a distraction and that he’s committed to the cause. Perhaps that barrage of questions stung him and made him question things. Then again, trying to figure out what’s going on inside Roy Keane’s head is always a thankless task.
In light of today’s news, there are many that will merely shrug their shoulders and dredge up old ghosts. Keane’s personality ensures he rarely shuffles out the back door and he seems to relish any inevitable departure. Again writing in his latest autobiography, he spoke of his sparse office when in charge of Sunderland. There was good reason for the minimal furnishings: he wanted to pack things quickly into one box and leave when he was eventually sacked. There appears a perverse enjoyment in the dramatic exit.
As much as Keane probably thinks he’s doing the right thing, Aston Villa gave him shelter from the storm. Now he’s a free agent again and rumours and whispers of apparent destinations will no doubt crop up imminently. It would appear he’s tied himself to the Irish mast and that’s a noble move. But it’s optimistic to think it will quell the interest in him, that his profile will be lessened.
At Villa, he was able to fade into the background. He didn’t have to do interviews. He could concentrate on enjoying his job. With the Irish team, he’s box-office. Everyone wants something from him. And when he obliges, it usually leads to more problems than solutions. It’s the tightrope that Keane walks and it’s surprising he wants to keep on trying to get to the other side.
Villa appeared to be a nice safety-net, there to catch him should he fall. But maybe Keane, in his usual self-destructive way, prefers the heavy landings.
