RICKY Sbragia has welcomed the return of Roy Keane, saying English football “needs” the mercurial former Sunderland boss, writes MARK DOUGLAS.
Sbragia sent a text message to Keane wishing him luck after returning to management with ambitious Championship club Ipswich Town yesterday – and he is anticipating a call from the former Ireland midfielder shortly trying to recruit some of his old Black Cats charges.
Sbragia was recruited by Keane and worked under him for two years before stepping out from his shadow to take over at Sunderland at the turn of the year.
And it was the spectre of Keane that dominated yesterday’s Sunderland Press conference. Sbragia answered questions about the former Black Cats boss patiently and he is full of respect for Keane’s achievements. “I don’t think Ipswich are taking a risk (in appointing Roy),” Sbragia said. “He was here when Sunderland were bottom of the league and did fantastically well. He got them into the Premier League. He’s everything the Ipswich board want and I’m sure he’ll do extremely well for them.”
Sbragia believes his predecessor will have taken a huge amount from his first posting in management, and that the experience will enable him to make a success of his time at Portman Road.
“The game needs Roy Keane. He was desperate to get back in and I think Ipswich have made a great appointment. He will look at his mistakes, look at his good points, but I think in general you need luck as a manager,” Sbragia said. “You need that as a manager and he’ll need that as well. He will have a fair idea about Ipswich before he goes in and he’ll take all his experience with him. I don’t know if the players there will be in for a shock.
“He’ll go in there and make everybody what he wants to make them, but he’ll make them winners too. That’s the biggest thing. That will happen. His demands are great and they’re supposed to be great.”
Keane, who will be handed a significant transfer budget to try and get Ipswich back into the Premier League, may be tempted to return to Sunderland as part of his recruitment drive.
Daryl Murphy, Roy O’Donovan, David Healy and even Nyron Nosworthy would all interest Keane as he attempts to build a team able to achieve promotion. “He’ll have to go in and assess the players. He’ll get videos on Ipswich and then make decisions,” said the Sunderland boss.
“But I would expect him to be on the phone for a couple of my players, yes.”