Much has been made on the similarities between Towns outgoing manager, Jim Magilton, and the new incumbent, Roy Keane. In his first column, Frank Weston looks at the similarities from a different angle.
As the editor has already indicated there is not a lot to choose between the two of them. Both are of Irish extraction. Jim Magilton hails from Belfast in the North and Roy Keane from Cork in the South but whichever way you look at it, they have Irish blood running through their veins. Other similarities include their age, their experience - or lack of it at managerial level and their personalities and playing careers; when they both captained their clubs but all of this has been thoroughly examined before so let us boldly go where no other journalist has dared to tread! It is their Irish heritage that fascinates me most and whether being of Irish blood may enhances one's chances of getting a new contract or just getting into the team?
Under Jim, Town were thinking of changing their name to Ipswich Irish, which sounds great for a rugby union team but not so appealing for a football club somehow. Jim was accused of recruiting too many of his own and perhaps he did but will this change under Roy Keane one wonders? I have a fond affection for the Irish myself I might add and have lots of Irish blood running through my veins. My grand parents on my mother's side were both Irish. One was from the North and one for the South so I think I can take on this particular subject matter more liberally than most.
Now when Jim Magilton lost his job the opinion polls were unanimous in their belief that he had to go. In one poll conducted for the East Anglian Daily Times more than 95 % of supporters were of the "Show him the door" point of view. When he took on the job, amidst much acclaim I might add, almost the same percentage of fans felt he was the right man for the job. Therefore, the fickle nature of a football follower is critical in determining the life expectancy of the man at the helm. If an ill wind blows it can soon turn into a thunderstorm of epic proportions in next to no time at all. Once the seeds of doubt are sewn into the minds of a supporter it does not take long for a deep depression to set in and poor old Jim succumbed to the elements. A tidal wave of distrust enveloped him and once the footballing version of a tsunami struck, he was already a beaten man.
I was one of the few who still believed in him. Yes, he made mistakes and the team undoubtedly under-achieved. Yet it was thanks to Jim that Richard Wright and crowd favourite Pablo Counago returned to the fold and the team that has won its last two games is not too dissimilar to the team that beat the Canaries just a few short weeks ago. Jim wore his heart on his sleeve. He was a Town player for seven years and he earned other players respect in the game, as captain and motivator. No one will ever forget his achievements in that epic play-off semi final at Portman Road either, when he almost single-handedly took Town to the Twin towers! In management too, his honesty and his wholehearted endeavour was undeniable. Some may even say his downfall? What Jim did not have a lot of though was the luck of the Irish. He first campaign started disastrously with three defeats in eight days! When the team finally got their season off the ground they were already too far behind the leading pack and the first hints of discontent became apparent.
Finishing just outside the play-offs the next season and playing some great football in the process gave everyone a renewed sense of optimism. It was however a false dawn and injuries to key players such as Jon Walters and Luciano Civelli at the most critical stage of the season put paid to any lingering hopes of a play-off place. Again, we must remember these were players that Jim recruited and if they go on to bigger and better things, we should not forget who brought them here. I am still of the opinion that Jim will succeed in management and will be better for the experience. We may even rue the day we showed him the door, in the same way the Sir Bobby was removed from his post at Fulham all those years ago only to follow in Sir Alf footsteps by managing England and getting a well-deserved knighthood later in his career. All we know for the moment however is the man the supporters named affectionately "Magic" was re-christened "Tragic" when the storm clouds gathered above his head. He even shipped Shane Supple and Billy Clark out on loan and they were both Irishmen so you could sense he was beginning to lose the plot.
Now the new kid on the block Roy Keane does share many characteristics that our Jim possessed. He has passion that is for sure. He is very focused too and can blow a fuse relatively easily. Journalists will still have to tread carefully. Replace the catch phrase, "At the end of the day," with "Listen" and you can see where the two of them are coming from. Roy is perhaps under even more pressure to produce than even Jim was. When you tell the press that a two year contract is more than enough because you believe you can get the club promoted in your first season, "Why not?" he once remarked, then you are really walking a tight rope and remember, supporters never forget these things. We all hope he is right. We all desperately want him to succeed and he certainly has the pulling power to get attention. Gate receipts already suggest that great expectations are now back on the agenda at Portman Road. The desire is undoubtedly there and so too is the will to be a winner. All footballers look up to winners and let us face it; Roy Keane is as much of a superstar in Ireland as David Beckham is in England so this could auger well.
Sadly, apart from a play-off Championship medal with Town, Jim Magillton's trophy cabinet lies empty and in football terms, credibility counts for a lot. Sir Alex wanted Roy to succeed him as manager, which speaks volumes I would suggest. He certainly has the pedigree to go all the way as a manager but does he have the temperament and does he have the luck? Like Kevin Keegan he is not afraid to walk out on a club and he must be treated with kid gloves by the powers that be at Board level one would suspect. Two wins in his first two games is a satisfactory start and the fact that he has already taken one club up from the Championship to the promised land is further proof of his credentials. Keane is also keen on lots of Irish blood in the team, as was witnessed at Sunderland. He may even bring Shane and Billy back into the fold and there is no doubting Owen Garvan's admiration for the man. He is virtually a fan himself!
Ultimately however, it could all boil down to one thing and that is the luck of the Irish. Jim didn't have it but perhaps Roy has?
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