Spurs Good Riddance Could be a Black Cat Revival

In the past, Roy Keane has not been shy about looking disdainfully on the quaint but ineffectual nature of Irish football. It's arguable whether or not Roy Keane will be remembered as the uber-competitive hard man of the Manchester United midfield or the rage and pride-filled egomaniac that abandoned his country leading up to the 2002 World Cup.

And Sunderland, long the quaint and ineffectual favorite of the Irish that don't devote all of their time to bleeding Celtic green, now finds Roy Keane and chairman Niall Quinn trying to break out of the old "ah, the lads gave it their all" mentality that so often accompanies failure. A proposed deal totaling $46M for Steed Malbranque, Teemu Tainio, Younes Kaboul and Pascal Chimbonda from Tottenham Hotspur is reportedly on the table.

Pretty big deal, eh? Especially for Sunderland, you say. Well, the number's big, but as everything is relative, a mere pittance compared to the ever-escalating transfer fees that have following the largest TV contracts in history.

$12M is a lot for any of the above individual players, but if this move goes through, it'd be hard to argue that it wasn't the biggest deal done yet in the transfer window. It is difficult to get excited about Steed Malbranque, but he adds creativity to the attack in midfield. Tainio can be petulant and inconsistent, but can play holding midfield, join in attack and perhaps play out wide. Kaboul is perhaps best known for throwing a tantrum when substituted rather than anything he does on the field, but he's still young. Chimbonda is perhaps the best out of all four, and while he carries a bit of the ego with him, he's in the prime of his career and is highly-motivated on the pitch.

$46M doesn't sound like a lot of money until you find out it's Sunderland doing the spending, but if Keano gets his men and they can follow simple directions and avoid the wrath of their manager and his standards, we'll have seen a marked improvement upon last year's squad, all done simply in one fell swoop. It hasn't happened yet, but when does the opportunity to upgrade your midfield and back line, especially with players that have played together, come along? Not often; a deal like this should bring entertainment to the Northeast, and perhaps more importantly the Black Cats.


Sunderland swooping for four Spurs [Irish Times]

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Book Review: Red Mist

Conor O'Callaghan is a poet, but his 2004 memoir, Red Mist: Roy Keane and the Irish World Cup Blues, feels more like an investigative account of a crime. While the drama surrounding the Irish captain's departure from World Cup preparations is well-known among footie fans over here, very few of us understand the impact of Roy Keane's actions.

One must understand Ireland, specifically what Roy Keane means to a nation perpetually on the brink of commanding a seat on the world stage, not only in international soccer, but also in global economic terms. The North American point of view, and perhaps that of the world, previous to the boom of the Celtic Tiger, is one of a quaint land of lilting brogues and Guinness. Ireland may be the homeland of so many, yet maintained their second-world status while the rest of Europe and the world leapt forward.

As the World Cup neared, Ireland's rise in global influence inevitably found itself manifested in Ireland's chances in the 2002 World Cup. Ireland may have a second-class domestic league, but players' experience abroad afforded the squad the experience to go far in the finals. Or so Roy Keane, playing for arguably the biggest club, Manchester United, thought.

While Ireland may have differing opinions on Keano and his decision (traitorous knacker vs. a man who stands up for his ideals), there is little argument that the FAI was ill-prepared to compete in Korea and Japan in 2002. Like much of the national team's past, the squad was destined to mediocrity, with the expectation of a congratulations just for showing up. This has been the downfall of Irish soccer according to O'Callaghan, stemming from Jack Charlton's tenure as gaffer.

To an outsider, Keane's fury at the lack of professionalism (a lack of training balls, discipline, and a general "happy to be here" attitude) may seem petulant and egotistical. But it is his single-mindedness that has made him the player he is. Keane is more than known to have little patience with those that do not work as hard as he does, and he communicates this in perhaps less than diplomatic ways.

O'Callaghan does well to capture the anti-Keane sentiment while he struggles to hold onto his support of the embittered captain. Much of his account is intertwined with his family, specifically his young son, who is experiencing not only his first World Cup, but the first time his hero is revealed to be human.

While it may seem like a story unlikely to excite the average footie fan, O'Callaghan's style makes it easy to find yourself drawn into his experience. There really is no comparison to what Keano's departure from the national team meant to Ireland, simply because what Roy Keane meant to the nation is perhaps more than a player has ever meant to a team.

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The Grab: 12.13

YouTube Watch: More good stuff from the Guardian Sports Blog. [Guardian Unlimited]

BeckhamsTM Watch: Who ever said Posh was miserable? And a cow? While it is a commonly used default term for any British female, I think she's got her c-words confused. [Entertainmentwise]

You say it's growing? Nice one, Titus . . . . oh, you mean your real leg? I thought you were referring to your night out in w/Keano's lads. [SportingLife, SMiA]

Wembley Watch: Are they still building Ford Pintos in Oz? Not a bad car, really, except you have to pull over and get out for an hour or so to close the sunroof. [Guardian Unlimited]

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