Underachieveing Keane not Paying the Price

Few managers are more outspoken that Roy Keane. The former Manchester United captain leaves no stone unturned when in front of the British press as we saw when the Irishman was asked about Michael Chopra being allowed to go back to Cardiff City.

I think the media actually fear Roy Keane a little, like they dare give him bad press at the trepidation of being given a tough lashing the next day.

However the media have been known to tell it like it is. So why are they refusing to put the pressure on Keane after his sides poor start to the season.

Sunderland lie in 19th in the Premiership and after Keane splashed the cash in the summer it is amazing to see his start and the focus on his sides poor start.

Lets start with the team itself. Sunderland have had just one win from their last eight games in all competitions, with the solitary win coming in the Tyne-Wire derby against Newcastle United, who are coincidently the team below them in the Premiership.

After spending nearly 30 million pounds on a variety of players during the summer Keane’s results have been poor to say the least.

Anton Ferdinand, George McCartney and David Healy are just a few who have been drafted in on the major budget provided by Niall Quinn.

Quinn is bound to be unhappy after the uproar that Keane made after the end of last season, when he said that some of his squad wasn’t good enough and that he needed major finances to re-build the side.

The former Sunderland man gave in to the manager’s demands, expecting a top half finish and dare I say it a foray into Europe. This success would have been warranted considering the cash injection.

However the result has been the opposite and Quinn has been left thinking whether he has wasted his time at the hands of the controlling manager as they look set for a relegation battle.

Keane hasn’t been checked up on this once by the press, and even worse they are more concentrated on managers whose teams are more successful like Mark Hughes at Manchester City than they are at the underachieving Sunderland.

Are the media scared of Keane? Well quiet possibly.

Now before I’m inundated with comments that I’m calling for Keane’s head I’m definitely not, I’m saying that if Hughes warrants some pressure with 13 points from 12 games then so does Keane with a point less.

So the next time the media line-up with Keane in there sights maybe uttering their recent record of one win the their last eight might put Keane under more pressure than his overpriced team.