Clash of the Legends

Keano.
Captain. Fighter. Legend.

Recent verbal wars have all but confirmed that what relationship Sir Alex had with Keano is now over. Keane said some harsh things about United after the Champions League exit, and rightly so, given his position as a pundit. Sir Alex wrote an underhanded remark about Roy in his matchday programme notes, and Keane being Keane, went ballistic.

My dad always said, you have to be balanced, but flexible. Too bendy and people will mold you into whatever shape they want, but be too rigid, and you will snap in two. Keane is a stick. You’re either with him, or you are his enemy forever. I think its this trait that helped him drag lagging United squads from the brink of a loss to turning in a heroic win. But its also resulted in countless fall outs with various managers, players, and friends. Who can forget the disaster of Saipan? He just refuses to go any road except his own, and its probably for this reason that he hasn’t been as great a manager than he was a player.

His comments on Ferguson ultimately come down to what is his only point in that Sir Alex has a selfish side. I don’t argue with that. Sir Alex has had a shady record when it comes to his dealings, and he does tend to be very petty when it comes to certain things. Thanks to Keano, we had to rehash the Rock of Gilbratar (when will talk about that stupid horse die already), but that comment seemed neither here nor there. Sir Alex simply expressed his disappointment that Keano shouldn’t have blasted the United team. And then Keano took it way too far in response, and in way too many directions. I will say this, Keano was right to bash the United team. A pundit is a pundit, whether ex-United, ex-Chelsea, ex-Arsenal, or ex-Liverpool. Unless your name is Ian Darke and you think the United States should be world champions, you should really stay objective simply by job description. Keano was just doing his job and Sir Alex can’t really blame him for that.

The truth is, Keane was peeved even before all of this. He was still butt hurt about his exit from United. Being Keane, to his perspective, his obvious lack of form and fitness had nothing to do with him being axed. Instead, it was everyone other United player’s fault, and in typical fashion, he berated them publicly for it. As one of the two players that had been able to do his own thing under Sir Alex (the King being the other), he had been a straight up ass to Sir Alex for 12 and half years, so the gaffer took great pleasure in telling him to piss off. So tensions were high as it stood.

Its sad to see two titans of United lose their relationship. Unfortunately, both are extremely stubborn, and both find it hard to forgive others. That is why they were unstoppable when on the same side. Roy Keane was Sir Alex embodied in a player, in terms of that never-die, never give in United attitude. Now that they are on opposing ends, it will be a never ending feud. And unfortunately, even if Roy Keane does love Manchester United, he will not be able to return so long as Sir Alex lives.

In other news –

Luis “Scumbag Racist” Suarez has been banned for eight matches and fined 40,000 for yelling negrito repeatedly at Evra. Liverpool is in for a very cold December and January. Dalglish might be forced to cough up some cash for one of the Napoli forwards, or better yet, perhaps herald the return of a well-known Spaniard. Or, their appeal will be successful and eight will be reduced a much more palatable number. Time will tell.