The big rumour from the A-League over the past couple of days is the potential new manager of the Melbourne Victory could be Roy Keane. Without putting too fine a point on it, personally I think this could be fantastic for the competition.
This morning, while basking in the delight of Manchester United’s win over Chelsea in the Champions League, I read a post on the excellent Manchester United blog, redflagflyinghigh.com, which called into question what Keane could possibly achieve by managing in the A-League. I did respond in the comments section; however I thought I would flesh it out a little here.
I certainly don’t mean to have a go at the post or anything – like I said I read the blog often and it is always a good read. I guess I’m trying to add a unique perspective on things – as a fan of both United and a team in the A-League.
First of all, Keane can gain a lot out of managing down here. I think the general style that managers seem to adapt over here a will suit him. His record as Ipswich manager wasn’t great; this could be a great chance for a totally fresh break start. The A-League is improving massively, and at Melbourne he would have some real talent to work with; players like Carlos Hernandez, (Costa Rican international), Marco Rojas (everyone’s favourite turncoat) and Archie Thompson (all time leading league goal scorer) are well-known for being very tidy players.
The vast improvement in the A-League was highlighted by the way the champion Brisbane Roar played this season. They were fantastic to watch with their passing game. Captain Matt McKay became a real star for the Australian national team. Other teams struggled to compete with them all season. However, as always, the top teams go all out after them next season – searching for ways to level the playing field. You don’t get a bigger club in Australia than Melbourne Victory. Keane could be a real ace for the Victory. His experience and drive to win football matches is almost second to none.
I don’t think this is a nail in the coffin of Keane’s future prospects in top-flight Europe; at least no more so than what he achieved at Ipswich Town. Both Terry Butcher and Pierre Littbarski have managed Sydney F.C. in the past, and are currently coaching top flight football in Europe (Inverness in the SPL for Butcher and Vfl Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga for Littbarski). The point is Keane can use his time in Australia to develop further, away from the pressure that comes from constant media attention, and focus on winning football matches. A return to Europe can come after guiding one of the A-League’s most successful sides back to success.
There almost a paradox here: Keane will become the biggest star of the competition, especially if Robbie Fowler isn’t playing next season, but the media scrutiny will miniscule compared to what a comparable figure in Europe would. The A-League is still growing its identity and struggling to compete for media space with other sports like the AFL and NRL. While the attention he gets will no doubt increase the spotlight on the A-League, it will still be so much less scrutiny than what has followed him around during his career. As well as this, his famous press conferences promise to be quite the entertainment!
And if nothing else, can’t I just have Keano sitting on the sidelines, not far from me, when I go along to watch Wellington play Melbourne? The great man was one of my idols growing up. Can’t we have him over here for a couple of years?
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