Leeds and Ireland legend John Giles is not surprised if Roy Keane simply walked away from the opportunity to become the new Sunderland manager.
Keane was heavily tipped as the favourite to fill the vacancy at the Stadium of Light, after Lee Johnson was sacked following a 6-0 defeat to Bolton last month.
However, reports on Thursday suggested that the League One club are no longer considering the former Manchester United captain as a candidate for the job.
Giles believes Keane’s reputation affords him the luxury of being selective with any managerial roles that pique his interest.
Speaking to Nathan on Thursday’s Off The Ball, Giles says that Keane shouldn’t be under any pressure to take a job if the conditions are not right.
“He’s in a very fortunate position now as an ex-player,” Giles said. “I’d say he’s quite wealthy.”
“So, he’s in a position where he can say: ‘thank you, but no thank you - I don’t want to do it under those conditions.’”
“Now, most lads I know have to suck it up and take those conditions - and most of them, as I see, don’t make it, but they’ve no choice.”
“Usually, for the manager position at Sunderland, there’s around eight to ten applicants for the job.”
“They have to suck it up and take it under the conditions and say: ‘I’ll make it work’ - especially in my day when lads needed the job desperately.”
Giles continued: “90% of the job is getting the right players in to do what you think is right.”
“What you need is the conditions where you are in charge of the playing situation, letting go of the players you don’t want and getting in the players that you do want.”
G9FW9M New Sunderland manager Roy Keane with fans following a press conference at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland.Giles: "He can say - nicely - 'you can stick your job!'"
Giles also contends that Keane shouldn't feel he has work under the usual constraints of a League One club.
“Roy Keane’s been out of the [management] game for a long time. He has a good name for himself and a good reputation for himself on television.”
“Management is a very, very difficult job - and that’s with having the right conditions!”
“If he’s going in and they’re telling him he has a director of football here, and you’ll be doing this, that and the other - he’d be saying: ‘thank you very much but I don’t want to do it in those conditions.’”
“‘I’ve got a very good job on television where I’m not responsible for results so… you can stick your job - nicely!’”
“I think that’s what he’s done - and, in my opinion, quite rightly.”
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