Put Up or Shut Up Mr. Keane

As if being badly outplayed in the first 2 games of Euro 2012 wasn't bad enough, Ireland has had to contend with the latest verbal grenade from their wayward son, one Roy Keane. The mouthy malcontent, unimpressed with his former squad, launched into a tirade on ITV after Ireland``s defeat to Spain, then  chose to double down & flung the following pieces off the chip on his shoulder in a column he wrote Sunday:

About Kevin Doyle: A couple of years ago Kevin Doyle was linked to Arsenal. Now he’s heading back to the Championship.

About Stephen Hunt: Stephen Hunt has been relegated three times in five years.

On the Veteran`s that have formed the core of the team for the last decade:  “Picked every game as they have a big reputation. A reputation for what? They hadn’t qualified for anything in 10 years.”

And the Coup de Grace, he doubles down & has another go at the fans: It’s great that they back the team during and before games — but should they really stay on long after the final whistle cheering? 

Now let me try to be fair to Keane in a manner he most certainly hasn't been to the Boys in Green & us who support them. The underlying intent of his remarks, are something I do agree with. For years Roy has been going around saying to Ireland supporters that they have a right to expect & demand more from their national side, that simply showing up, putting a shift in & being grateful that you`re at a major tournament finals is not enough. Ireland are capable of aiming for a high standard & tired excuses are not good enough. Secondly, he is right to criticize Trap for not giving the young players more of a chance during his tenure. The fact that James McClean is not even going to start in what is, from an Irish point of view, a meaningless runout, is borderline criminal. Neglecting the promising future Ireland has in its youth in favour of tired, worn out veterans is doing the side a huge disservice. Furthermore, he is also right to condemn Trapattoni for his failed management at these Euros & question if he is just living off of past glories. He picks the squad, trains them & prepares the tactics. On all 3 counts, the manager has failed, quite miserably so I regret to say.

However, it`s hard to take seriously this man`s criticism, no matter how valid or apt it may be when it`s coated in such a thick layer of bitterness & bile. Where the hell does Roy gawdamn Keane get off slagging the fans who've made the journey all the way to Poland to support the boys, & have done so in a manner that has lifted the spirits of the team, the country & all of us fortunate enough to be of Irish blood. The pride & devotion to the team & country has been the envy & admiration of the entire world & has reminded all supporters of all sports teams what it means to be a proper fan.

Keane thinks that this is blind devotion, or as he so colourfully described it a ‘win, lose, we’re on the booze’ mentality. This is not blind devotion Mr. Keane, but clear headed realism that Ireland, both, was drawn in a very difficult group against top class opposition & also, this is a side very fortunate to even make it to the Euros in the first place, something the Republic`s former captain was never able to lead his side to I may add. Keane may think the fans`display on Thursday was daft & foolish, but I would say to him that one can be focused & determined to succeed at the task at hand without sacrificing joy in their hearts & having some fun. Quite surprising he is also so down on strong fan support, didn't he heap scorn & derision on the `Prawn Sandwich Brigade' that makes up such a huge part of the fanbase at Old Trafford, which showed what he deemed to be indifference towards the exploits of Manchester United while he was thereÉÉ What`s changed Roy?

The bottom line, boys & girls, is that it`s high bloody time for Roy Keane to put up or shut up. He has stewed on the sidelines, shooting his yap off about, what he sees, are the inadequacies of the Irish national team ever since he high-tailed it for home from Saipan 10 years ago. It's time for him to man up & do something about it. I certainly am of the opinion that Trapattoni should be shown the door after tomorrow's game for the poor performance of the side at this tournament and, logically, a new manager will be needed. I think good ol' Keano should step forward, grab the bull by the horns & demand that he be made the next manager of the national team. He appears to be brimming with ideas & ways to move the program forward, this would be his big shot. He's not going to be able to do anything about what ails Ireland in his eyes sitting around a TV studio, putting the fear of God into Adrian Chiles, though it is a rather useful pursuit I must say ;) So come on Keano, man up. You've never been afraid of taking on all comers, step up now, Ireland needs up.

Not that I expect him to do so. Seems Roy Keane stopped being the player I so admired when he hung up his boots. Seems he hung up his balls too...

A Real Prick Move

A Real Prick Move

Canada has gotten off to a fine start in the current round of World Cup Qualifying taking 4 points from their first 2 games, keeping a clean sheet in both outings & aside from the inability to finish their chances on offence, long suffering Canadian supporters have reason to be optimistic about the chances of the men's team for the first time in over a decade. However, this is Canada after all, just when you think the Men's National Team was perhaps taking a turn for the better, the rug ended up getting pulled from underneath the feet of the players, coaches & ,of course, all of us aforementioned long suffering supporters. Cue one Jonathan De Guzman:



Canadian soccer fans are used to this. Players who, by any sensible measure, should be donning red insead succumbing to delusions of grandeur & deeming our little national team, too small time, too unworthy, for them to bless it with their talents & deciding to find a bigger nation to play for that is fitting of their stature. What has happened this go around, chapter #5685 I do believe, comes as a massive sucker punch.

Now up until now, i've tended to defend JDG2 & what had been assumed until Tuesday night, his decision 4 years ago to pursue an opportunity to represent Holland internationally over Canada. He left home to join Feyenoord's at age 13, leaving behind his family, friends & familiar envirions to pursue ahis dream of being a professional soccer player. In the 7 years he lived there he obviously developed a connection to the country & thus made his decision. If he had left things with Canada like they were then, quite frankly, we'd have very little to complain about. Let us not forget that Canada has also benefitted from the talents of players from abroad, among them are current players Milan Borjan, Pedro Pacheco & Marcel De Jong, whose connections to Canada pale in comparison to their countries of origin. If it's okay for Canada to take advantage of the talents of thinly veiled mercenaries to better the quality of the national side, we have to accept the times when our own bolt for what they perceive to be greener pastures.

However the gates to JDG2's greener pasture has remained firmly locked. While representing the Dutch at youth level, the senior team has shown no interest in calling him into the squad. So cue the stories of the wayward son returning to the fold. Big brother Julian let the cat out of the bag that JDG2 was pursuing efforts to restore his Canadian citizenship he had to forfeit in order to get a EU passport to make it easier for him to suit up for a European club. Stephen Hart & the CSA had been in regular contact with JSG2 & relevant government officials in order to make this happen. Not to mention Julian providing periodic updates to all concerned about how things were coming along.

Then Tuesday night De Guzman said in an interview with James Sharman that none of this was true, none of it ever happened, that this was basically one giant psych out, & that he is, was & always will be committed to the Dutch cause & has no intetion whatsoever of ever playing for the country of his birth.
My fat hairy ass this wasn't true. Someone here is lying. Was it Stephen Hart saying that he had been in touch with JDG 2 on a number of occasions about his international future & saying to the press that he was working to make this come to fruition? Were the CSA yanking Immigration officials in trying to help Jonathan regain his passport? Was it Julian? Was he just spinning tall tales, just filling up the lot of us with false hope for kicks? For me the answer is none of the above.

This is a case of an deceitful, opportunistic weasel, who used the manager & the CSA to further his own personal agenda here. As well ,let's remember that he also made a complete ass out of his brother. I do not believe for one minute that Julian would ever gone around talking up his little brother's desire to return home were it not genuine. He knows full well what it would have meant to all of us fans to have JDG2 play for the nation team, as he would become the best player Canada had in its lineup  & that the chances of going to Brazil in 2 years time would receive a major shot in the arm.

If this is the calibre of human being Jonathan de Guzman is, then Canada is better off. I'd rather support a team full of work horses who may not posess dazzling ability but put in an honest effort  game in & game out and, much more importantly, take pride in playing for the country, rather than one extremely talented racehorse who is rotten to the core. So Jonathan all I can say is I kindly wncourage you to self-fornicate with a sharp stick. Also, you might as well tell you boy Hoilett to stop beating around the bush & declare his desire to play for England & stop jerking us around.