Roy Keane is being linked with Sunderland's vacant manager job. John Giles joined Off The Ball on Thursday night to discuss his prospects.
It's been more than a decade since Roy Keane was Sunderland manager.
Keane departed Sunderland in 2008. He was beloved by fans but after an ownership change, he left the club. A short spell at Ipswich followed from 2009 until 2011. Keane didn't have much success there. He has since been a pundit on Sky Sports and an assistant manager for Ireland, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.
Although he has repeatedly spoken of his desire to return to management, it's been a very long time since he's had a real opportunity. Returning to Sunderland would mean dropping to the third division of English football.
Sunderland are a big club, but it's not an easy job according to John Giles.
"Anyone going to Sunderland now, they have a big job on their hands," Giles said.
"Promotion for a start. If and when you get young players coming in, the big clubs are snapping them up. It's very, very difficult to build a team. If you produce any young players, they're going to be nicked. That's what's happening. It's the big, big clubs in the Premier Leagues, the Chelseas, they can afford to buy the best players."
Keane is an old-fashioned personality. It's unlikely that he would be on board with analytics or building a team in the transfer market. He is more likely to be a motivator and player developer. Someone who thrives on the pitch rather than in the boardroom or figuring out transfers.
Giles believes that's a problem for lower league clubs because you can't just build teams by developing players anymore. It was possible in the past.
"It's more difficult for the smaller clubs now. Years ago, you had them under contract. Now, after they sign a two or three year contract, they're free agents. There's very, very little going for them in the lower divisions to produce young players. If you produce an outstanding young player, before you know it they'll have an agent. And then they'll tell the club they're not signing a contract and away they go.
"On a personal level I think Roy Keane has done a really good job on the panels. He's having a very, very good career in that particular line."
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus owns Sunderland. He is a 25-year-old forward-looking owner. Louis-Dreyfus does not seem like the perfect fit for Roy Keane. But it looks like we will get the chance to see it play out.
Roy Keane and the European 25-year-old born to rich parents. It's either a football club or Sky's newest sitcom.
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