[Dirtycheat]

Hypocrites! Keane slams rival bosses over respect and saves fiercest criticism for Ferguson

Roy Keane yesterday branded his fellow managers hypocrites over their attitude to referees and even took a swipe at his former boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Keane launched a passionate attack on top-flight bosses for failing to control themselves, their players and their coaching staff, while ostensibly supporting the new campaign to respect officials.


Manchester United manager Ferguson and his assistant Carlos Queiroz came under the heaviest fire from the Sunderland manager, who himself was no stranger to confrontations with referees as a player at Old Trafford.

The Irishman, who infamously pursued Andy D'Urso after a penalty was awarded against United, says he knew he had to change his attitude towards referees when he became a manager.

'Otherwise it would be an early grave,' he said. Last week Ferguson said the haranguing of officials was 'ridiculous' and said the D'Urso incident in 2000 was 'pivotal' in changing United's attitude towards officials.

Utd players confront Andy D'Urso

Red rage: Keane leads the infamous protest after D'Urso gave a penalty to Middlesbrough

But in a clear dig at Sir Alex, who is one of only two managers to be dismissed this season, Keane said: 'There's a lot of hypocrites out there in football.

'You hear other managers, and I am talking big managers, talking about respecting referees, but the same managers have been sent off for foul and abusive language. Makes me sick some of them.

'Sometimes it's more their staff. Managers step back and let them act like that. There's one or two clubs where their staff are a disgrace to football and their managers are worse because they stand by and let it happen, saying: “It's nothing to do with me”.

'There's one club in particular who are an absolute disgrace but I had a meeting with all the staff in my first week, down to the Academy coaches, and said I won't tolerate it.

'If my staff got involved in something like that, they'd know about it. We can appeal but we don't abuse or chase officials.

'Some referees need to be more approachable but the modern players aren't that bad.

'One incident can be highlighted four million times a day on Sky whereas in the Seventies and Eighties, when players would go out to try to break opponents' legs, you'd have one game a weekend covered on TV. Now you make a mistake and the cameras will get you.

'And then you have ex-players saying their piece because they get paid a grand. But they're the hypocrites who have done things 100 times worse, and half of them are divorced because they were cheating on their wives behind their backs and yet they're slagging people off. Idiots. Absolute idiots.

'If you rant and rave on the sideline it doesn't reflect well on the team. It doesn't mean to say I don't appeal decisions but I've not sworn at or abused any officials since I got the job.

'Give it another 10 years and maybe that will change but that's something I don't want to do.

'I was no angel but as a player I was in the middle of the park and I tried to leave my mark. The D'Urso incident was a major penalty call.

'If he hadn't kept running we wouldn't have kept chasing him. I met him afterwards and apologised and I still say my head was superimposed on those photos.'

Keane, who is preparing to open summer talks with chairman Niall Quinn to extend his contract, accused some of his counterparts of creating the bad feeling towards officials, which has boiled over in recent weeks with incidents involving Chelsea and England defender Ashley Cole and Liverpool's Javier Mascherano.

Keane was careful not to name Ferguson but the former United captain said he was surprised Old Trafford No 2 Queiroz had criticised referee Martin Atkinson's performance following their FA Cup loss to Portsmouth.

Former Real Madrid coach Queiroz was forced to apologise after recalling the incident between Martin Taylor and Eduardo incident at Arsenal the preceding week and Keane said: 'We're all bad losers but we were always told to be gracious losers at United. They weren't that day. United had 20 chances to score against Portsmouth and didn't take them.

'It'd be slightly unfair on United to say they've got added responsibility because of the size of the club. We all have responsibility.'

Aside from the issue of referees, Keane had some heartening news for Sunderland supporters who are eager to see the Irishman tied to a new deal at the Stadium of Light.

Keane believes contract talks to extend a deal which is up at the end of next season will open in the summer, but, if not, he still maintains he is on Wearside for the long haul.

He added: 'If you need to sign a contract to confirm you're happy, I'm not going to do that. But Sunderland is not a stepping stone. That would be an insult.

'One of the reasons I came to the club is the potential. We knew it would take time and getting promotion last year was the easy part. Now if we can stabilise and get quality players in, we know we're not far away.

'There's not a minute of any day goes by when I don't think of Sunderland and where we can get to.

'We're getting 44,000 crowds and we're near the bottom of the league. The whole football club could take off and I believe I'm the man to do that.

'I've got another year on my contract and am I happy at Sunderland? Very happy. The owners and Niall want stability and someone who's going to be here a bit longer.

'I've got to manage the club upwards as well as downwards and people need to know where they stand. But for today I'm very happy and focused. Will I be here in 10 years or tomorrow? I don't know. I might die tonight.

'If I was ever to leave Sunderland then where would I go? There are not many bigger challenges. I've been a manager two minutes and I'm lucky to be at such a big club. I hope to be here for the foreseeable future.'

Hypocrites! Keane slams rival bosses over respect and saves fiercest criticism for Ferguson | the Daily Mail

You have to say, he has a point. Fergie and Queiroz's comments after the pompey game were a tad harsh on the referee and only 1 week ago they were saying everyone has to show respect. I remember a few times when fergie followed the referee into the tunnel and "told him exactly what he thought of him". Hardly showing respect is it.

However i dont think they are the worst. Look at Rafa for instance. He defended masch even after he harassed the referee and kept swearing at him. Yet he is in favour of the RESPECT thing too. Rafa is just as bad when it comes to shouting at referee's and officials.

Then there is wenger who only sees the decisions given against him and if his team drops points he never blames himself, the tactics or the team. He just conveniently blames the referee for not giving a foul which led to a goal 2-3 minutes later.

Then again keano is no angel. He made a few comments about refs too.

Its ironic really. People say it comes from a lack of respect at sunday league level but ive played sunday league and refs get a lot more respect than they do in EPL. But then again, there really are some refs that deserve no respect.

[Torque]

I can't agree with him 100%. Managers are all humans and they can't controle themselves when their team loses after an easily given penalty.

As far as I remember, never seen SAF critisizing refs every time United lost. Most of the time Ferguson was right.

Refs are also humans and there are ones that desrve respect and ones who deserve to hear exactly what you think about them.

[Dirtycheat]

Originally Posted by ZEUS

I can't agree with him 100%. Managers are all humans and they can't controle themselves when their team loses after an easily given penalty.

As far as I remember, never seen SAF critisizing refs every time United lost. Most of the time Ferguson was right.

Refs are also humans and there are ones that desrve respect and ones who deserve to hear exactly what you think about them.

That is true but no one is saying he does.

and i think managers do have a responsibility to control themselves when they lose because although they are humans, they are also professionals.

I agree that some refs do deserve to be told when they are wrong but i think there are ways you can complain about referees and still show some respect even if they perform so badly that they dont deserve it.