Keane happy to return fire

SOCCER: Roy Keane, his words dripping in sarcasm, referred to FAI chief executive John Delaney as "a great man" yesterday, and Eamon Dunphy as "a good friend of mine". Delaney and Dunphy have this week attacked Keane, Delaney for his record in the transfer market as manager of Sunderland, Dunphy for Keane's "bullshitting" in his weekly pre-match press conference.

Keane used it yesterday to respond to the two men. Keane was asked a direct question about Dunphy first, and then later brought up Delaney unprovoked after a question regarding the appointment of Giovanni Trapattoni as Steve Staunton's successor as manager of the Republic of Ireland.

"I hope it's a good choice," Keane said of the Italian. "I was asked a couple of months ago, and I thought Dave (O'Leary) would have been ideal. Trapattoni is 68, he's signed a two-year deal, I hope he'll at least keep his eye on the under-21s and the youths. It's a short-term thing.

"John Delaney, is it John Delaney? He's a great man, him, like. He's come out and said it's a great appointment - and the FAI have not even paid for him. If you ask any club or organisation would they want their man without paying for it . . . ? It's a great job for him, chief executive, great man."

Keane's tone changed, briefly, when discussing Trapattoni, only for the sarcasm to return at the mention of Delaney's name again. Denis O'Brien, the businessman who is part-funding Trapattoni's tenure, was also the target of a scathing remark.

"His (Trapattoni's) CV is fantastic. And the players can't go wrong in terms of his experience. Now he's signed a two-year deal, Steve Staunton had a four-year deal, so maybe that's irrelevant. But his CV is up there with Capello's, fantastic.

"John Delaney was on last week saying 'it's a great move for us'. Denis O'Brien, who wants to keep it private by telling everyone it's him - they make me laugh these people. They make me laugh. I bet if you told the Welsh or Scottish FA that they could pick their man and someone else would pay for it . . . it makes his job easier, doesn't it? He's the chief exec and he's getting other people to pay. That's the FAI."

There was mockery rather than menace in Keane's delivery, and he was smiling when replying to a question about Dunphy, who, of course, ghosted Keane's infamous autobiography.

"Eamon has had an outburst, has he?" Keane asked knowingly. "It's not like Eamon, that. I think in future if I'm asked a question then I should ring Eamon before I give my opinion. I think he'd be happy with that.

"Eamon's obviously a good friend of mine, I think I last spoke to him about four or five years ago. Maybe I need to give him a call, he's clearly upset about that.

"Eamon's Eamon, good luck to him."

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times