After finding the pressure too much at Sunderland, Roy Keane is now discovering the expectations at new club Ipswich Town to be just as demanding as his second stint as a manager in the unforgiving Championship is turning into a nightmare.
The Irishman’s first spell as a Championship manager proved hugely successful as he gained promotion with the Black Cats at the first time of asking after being partly bankrolled by chairman Niall Quinn.
Keane brought in a number of experienced heads before the summer transfer window closed in 2007 including David Connolly and Graeme Kavanagh who both arrived from Wigan Athletic, two players who helped the Latics to promotion to the Premiership two years previous.
After leaving Sunderland last season he was recruited by new owner Marucs Evans to mastermind promotion to the Premiership after the clubs seven-year absence.
Ipswich have endured some difficult times after there relegation from England’s top flight, torturous times that included administration the year after dropping out of the league, but nevertheless they’ve been famous for keeping faith with managers throughout their illustrious history.
Jim Magilton was given three years to turn the clubs fortunes around and in turn became the clubs second shortest serving manager when he was relinquished of his position two games short of the end of last season.
Keane enjoyed the predictable honeymoon period typical of any team in need of a new start winning their last two games of the season including the final match at Ninian Park against Cardiff City.
But that ideal start has been followed by a summer of inept signings by the former Manchester United skipper, and a start to the season that has seen as many goals tumble as records.
Evans has followed his promise of backing the new manager in the transfer market, but instead of going with the tried and tested method of bringing in players who have been there and done it, Keane has brought in a number of players without that important promotion experience.
Grant Leadbitter, who was indeed part of that Sunderland promotion side, is one of the few with any knowledge of getting out of this difficult division.
As of result of this, and some less than average performances particularly at home, the club have gone 10 league games without a win leaving some of the previously unconvinced supporters calling firmly for Keane’s head.
His unforgiving reputation as a player was never going to endear him to many set of supporters outside Old Trafford, but after being provided with plenty of funds this uncertain start just adds fuel to an inferno of abuse that Keane received as a player.
Keane’s financial demands at Sunderland reached ridiculous levels at times, as he demanded millions from Quinn to keep the side up after his opening season in the Premiership and even with that cash injection his tenure eventually ended in tears.
The media seemed quick to predict Ipswich as definite promotion contenders at the beginning of the season, and in some quarters as top two certainties but now survival seems like a more realistic ambition which sky rocketed after the purchase of the club by Evans.
In hindsight the squad that Keane has acquired is simply not one who have the ability to swap mid-table finishes for automatic promotion in just one season, not many sides can make that much of a turn-around in just two and half summer months.
Despite just a two year-contract being dished out to Keane his job, unlike that at Sunderland who had just been relegated, should not be directed towards promotion inside the first season given successive mid-table finishes under Magilton.
Hopefully Evans doesn’t follow the trigger-happy approach that so many managers have adopted already this season and in previous years, but in truth as I mentioned previously Ipswich as a club have the tradition of giving bosses plenty of time.
A two-year deal suggests to me the owner wants instant success and isn’t ready to trust Keane with a long-term deal until the club are regularly contending for promotion or even in the Premiership and will he see 10 matches without a win even a slight bit of progress? It’s unlikely
Even given his limited track record it would be disappointing to see Keane sacked before the end of the season, if nothing else how are a team able to develop and nurture if the new manager is given less than a season at the helm?
It’s a question I pose to almost every Football League chairman.
Only when Evans believes that relegation is a real possibility should he begin to consider Keane’s position, but the sooner he and the fans realise that expectations of promotion after just a single season are unreasonable then the club might be able to finally progress.
But in this current climate of endless managerial changes, Keane’s long-term ambitions could become nothing more than a pipe dream.
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