How Safe is Roy Keane's Job?

Credit; here


Roy Keane. A successful football figure as a player, but how good a manager is he?

Barely four years ago, Sunderland gambled on the managerial finesse of the former Manchester United, Celtic and Nottingham Forest player, when he teamed up with former international team-mate Niall Quinn for a stint in the Premier League.

Now, the top tier of English football, or football anywhere, couldn't be further from the tough midfielder's mind after he resigned from his post at the Stadium of Light and is now struggling with another former top-flight side in Ipswich Town.

The 39 year old might have won the Premier League seven times with Manchester United, but his glory days seem to have gone after he has seen The Tractor Boys fall to 18th place in the Championship and only 3 points away from the drop zone.

Keane's side, who haven't won in their last 6 league games, have only scored 3 goals in that time and some Ipswich fans are already beginning to question whether he is the right man to lead the club forward.

Judging on recent performances, he is most definitely not and he seems, rather on the contrary, to be taking them in a rather opposite way.

This weekend's defeat at another of the league's struggler's, Preston, will have added pressure to the future of an already formidable character both on and off the field, but will he last until Christmas?

Roy Keane has been involved in scraps before, but never Championship relegation scraps.

Credit; redlog.pl

If you look at the likes of Chris Hughton, who have been fired for more successful campaigns this term, maybe he could consider himself fortunate to still be in employment, given that his side head into a crucial period of fixtures in what can only be described as a shambles.

Any team with high ambitions for a season, say Southampton one league down, might have had enough of Keano's lack of influence in a side who seem to only be able to win in the League Cup.

Maybe that's what The Blues' are lacking; ambition.

Alan Pardew, now Newcastle manager, was sacked by Southampton after a poor run at the start of this season.

Credit; caughtoffside.com

Sometimes cup form can have an effect on confidence which the players can take into the league games, but this could not be further from the truth for a side where no striker has scored since their last league victory, against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

They must pick up points over Christmas, that is for sure, otherwise the side, who are more than capable of holding their own in this league, might be dragged into a relegation experience which they could be vulnerable to, given their lack of experience battling against such disasters.

That is some shadow of a side that were only relegated from the top tier of English football in 2002.

Some demise it has been.

Several players, including defenders Jack Ainsley and Darren O'Dea have spoken out over the last week supporting their under fire manager, with the latter telling the fans and media to blame the team rather than the gaffer.

Darren O'Dea might be on loan from Celtic, but he has publically given his support to manager Roy Keane.

Credit; here

Things like that will give Keane confidence but he will have to turn things round quickly and it may be one dent too many into both the chairman's belief and trust in the Irishman should he fail to cement three points against an in-form Leicester side at Portman Road on Saturday.

Expect fireworks for Ipswich over Christmas either way.