Roy Keane: Sunderland may be set for ‘disaster’ after talks update – Agbonlahor
Roy Keane will be a “disaster” at Sunderland if he has not changed his attitude towards players.
That is the view of ex-England forward Gabby Agbonlahor, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about his former Aston Villa coaching potentially returning to the Stadium of Light.
The Daily Mail reported yesterday (7 January) Sunderland are in advanced talks with Keane but Grant McCann and Alex Neil are also in the frame.
The Irishman refused to rule out a move back to the northeast giants live on ITV on Friday night (4 February).
“It depends if he’s changed his way of management. If he’s learnt from his mistakes and if he can control his temperament then he’s got a chance.
“But if he goes in there with the same attitude and coaching temperament that he had at Aston Villa he will be a disaster.
“Players are softer than they were back in the day, players need an arm around them, they don’t need to be told they’re awful. That’s not going to get a reaction out of them, they’re not going to play their best football like that.
“If he can change his style of management then you never know. The Roy Keane I worked with, he’s not a coach or manager I’d want to work under again.
“He was always very, very negative. If you missed the target he’d scream ‘Hit the target’ and you’re not meaning to miss the target, you’re trying to hit corners and sometimes you miss.
“I just feel like he didn’t respect the players. Players are different now, if you talk to them like rubbish, they won’t have it.
“It could be Pele but if he’s talking to you like rubbish, you’re not going to listen.
“If Roy Keane spoke to you in the right way you would think ‘This guy’s won it all, I understand’.
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the game, you have to man-management skills. Look at Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Patrick Vieira, I’m sure they don’t talk to their players like rubbish even though they’ve won it all.”
In other news, Kevin Phillips has been left ‘surprised’ by a Sunderland signing after what he ‘can gather’.