Put down the trumpet.
Of all the places we thought we’d find the “new Roy Keane”, Crystal Palace would not have featured highly.
We would have assumed that the RK Mk II would come from a tough neighbourhood, work his way up from non-league and maybe then get a lucky break.
We’d also have expected the new Keano to be a ferocious mix of energy, passing and tackling with an eye for goal too.
All things you would not readily associate with former PSG man Yohan Cabaye, who’s now plying his trade under Alan Pardew at Selhurst Park.
Palace are enjoying one heck of a revival under the former Newcastle manager since he took over late last season and that continued with Saturday’s 2-0 win over West Brom.
Cabaye was a surprise move for the London based side and cost them £10million and a rumoured £80,000 a week in wages.
But Pardew feels it’s totally worth it to have a player in the Roy Keane mould in his squad,
“…there’s no player who can knock on my door and say, ‘I want the same money as Cabaye’.
“If you increase the wage structure because someone has come in and they don’t deliver, then you have got a problem. But they can all come and knock on my door on Monday and ask for more money. Saying, ‘I want Yohan’s money’ and they’ll get a simple answer, ‘You’re not as good as him’.
“He can smell what to do at the right time. It’s very important for a manager to have a lieutenant like that. Like Roy Keane at Man United.”
Until we see Cabaye chasing after referees or growing a magnificent beard we’ll hold our judgement on how close to Keane he really is.
