Rule of thumb: ask Roy Keane a stupid question, you’ll get an answer made out of pure gold.
Keane and journalists are a match made in comedy heaven and, yet again on Tuesday afternoon, a perfect storm was whipped up as the Republic of Ireland assistant manager addressed the media at the team’s base in Abbotstown.
It started with an innocent enough question.
“Will Robbie [Keane] be available [for the Germany game]?”
Naturally, Roy’s eyebrow raises.
“Why wouldn’t he be?”
We’re playing Germany on Thursday, what else could he be doing?
“His wife just had a baby…” the reply whispers.
Initiate: death stare.
“Well, HE didn’t have the baby. Unless he’s breast-feeding, he should be alright.”
Keane enjoys this kind of build-up.
Ireland are playing the world champions on Thursday at the Aviva and they have their last group game away to Poland on Sunday. This is what he does. He trives off this pressure.
So he isn’t bothered that Wes Hoolahan (heel) has missed training and Seamus Coleman is doing his own work away from the team. Robbie Keane won’t meet up with the squad until Wednesday – new baby and all – and Kevin Doyle only arrived on Tuesday morning.
But Keane is hopeful that all will come together in time for the big clash with Joachim Low’s outfit.
“It won’t keep me awake tonight,” he said.
“Another 24 hours will make a big difference to Wes but obviously Seamus hasn’t kicked a ball in three or four weeks so he’s more of a concern.
“It’s not the end of the world. Ideally, you’d like lads to be doing something the day before a game but it has been known before for players to wait until the day of the game. And players like Wes, who has played regularly recently, you would give him that benefit I think.”
Of course, he did add: “I wouldn’t like to say anyone’s an automatic choice.”
Roy Keane is in full Roy Keane mode now and that passion and enthusiasm is rubbing off on the team.
“With the campaign now coming towards the end, this is what the players look forward to. Big game, quality opposition, this is what it’s all about,” he said.
“Absolutely [Germany are a better side now than the one Ireland held to a point at the start of the campaign]. We are as well. I think we’re a stronger team now as with any campaign – we were settling in at the start, we were knew to the job. I think we’re a better team now.”
With Glenn Whelan and James McClean out through suspension for the visit of the Germans, Ciaran Clark and Marc Wilson missing with injuries and Seamus Coleman and Wes Hoolahan both doubts, Martin O’Neill’s options are wearing thin but not up top. In the forward line, the same dilemma faces the management.
“If Shane [Long] starts, I’m sure he’ll give us a lot,” Keane said. “He’s got a lot of pace, he did well the last day when he came off the bench, you’d probably expect Germany to have more possession than us so we’ll have to be good on the counter attack, whether that be with pace or intelligence – passing the ball quickly. Will it be Jon Walters, Daryl Murphy, Shane, we’ll see.
“We’ll have a look at it, it’s horses for courses. Listen, we’ve played a lot of games with Ireland when we’ve not had as much possession as the opposition so you’ve got to obviously take that into consideration. But we’ll have possession and, when we do, we’ll have to play with it and be brave. We have to look after the ball and trust the players and the qualities that we have.”
And, so, the inevitable Jack Grealish soundbite.
Keane admits that he was disappointed that the Aston Villa player didn’t commit his future to the Republic but he wasn’t exactly shocked.
“Not really surprised,” he stated. “Obviously we were always hopeful that he would come to play – well, not come to play, but continue to play – for Ireland. But he’s made his decision and we move on.
“What more can you do? I think the manager did everything he could. Jack’s already played for Ireland and we were hoping that would continue but that’s life.”
And he’s not surprised by Sunderland’s dismissal of Dick Advocaat either.
“That’s Sunderland, isn’t it? Brilliant club, brilliant club. I don’t know, I can’t comment on why different managers have left or have been sacked but people in the background probably need to take a look at themselves. If they had let me alone I’d probably still be there now and I wouldn’t be having to chat to you.”
And, with that, he walked off into the Abbotstown sunset.
Roy Keane is confident Robbie Keane will be available on Thursday: "Unless he's breastfeeding he should be alright."https://t.co/E3qSujoXUT
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) October 6, 2015
