Tom Doyle :: TALK

Roy Keane, the only person in the limelight of recent times that I actually looked up to and respected, has quit his job as manager of Sunderland. Keane, never far from controversy, has disappointed me hugely in his decision.

I thought he was a man that would never give in, no matter how tough things got. But I was so wrong. And all those times I’ve stood up for him in the pubs when the country was divided over the Saipan incident.

Well I just hope he doesn’t stay out of football too long and makes up for what I’m sure he will feel in time was a bad decision.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Football: Roy Keane parts company with Sunderland, claim reports
• Football: Roy Keane has ‘lost the plot’ and is doomed as Sunderland manager, says Eamonn Dunphy
• Keane has lost plot, says close confidant
• Sunderland manager Keane quits club
• Football: should Sunderland consider Roy Keane’s position?
• Roy Keane’s Sunderland report card says ‘could do better’
• Premier League: Roy Keane floats idea of summer departure from Sunderland
• Sunderland manager Roy Keane unsure of his future after Bolton defeat

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Ronaldo finally announced publicly yesterday that he plans to stay with Manchester United for another season at least. Commenting on his reason for wanting to leave Man United he said:

“I am going to say something here that I’ve never told anybody: if we hadn’t been European champions I probably wouldn’t have even thought about going to Madrid”.

He went on to say, “After we’d won the Champions League I felt that in five years I had helped win everything there was to win. We’d won the Premier League twice and I’d won a host of individual awards, including the best goalscorer in the Premier League, Champions League and in Europe. So I felt that maybe I needed a new challenge”.

As much as I respect anyone who aspires to be the best they possibly can at their chosen profession, the way Ronaldo handled it all leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth. The five years he talks about, were 4 years where his club, in particular manager Alex Ferguson, stood by him when everyone else thought he was a poor excuse for a footballer. Not many people rated him as a true and true footballer. Yes maybe he could dazzle with his silky skills, his football brain just didn’t seem to be there.

However, last season was his best yet - we don’t even have to mention his goals. As an all round player, he really showed how well he has matured under Alex Ferguson. But as any true professional will tell you, “you are only as good as your last performance”.

So Ronaldo may think he has nothing left to prove, but I feel he has a lot still to do. He needs to show that this season, he can be as consistent as he was in the last. Just like all the great football heros you can think of.

Related articles by Zemanta

• John Terry ready to overtake Man Utd and face prospect of meeting Jose Mourinho
• Football: Cristiano Ronaldo on why he is staying at Manchester United
• Disappointed Schuster accepts Ron’s decision
• Ronaldo spurns Madrid, stays with Man U after all
• Football: Cristiano Ronaldo reveals all about Ferguson, his football dreams and his future
• Ronaldo seems resigned to staying with Man U