There is little doubt that Roy Keane provides a huge amount of entertainment at times with his punditry.
His no nonsense attitude when it comes to analysing the failings of teams certainly fits with the personality he had as a player. His 'win at all cost' mentality rubbed people up the wrong way on occasion, but it also made him the incredible footballer that he was.
Many will rightly point out that this same attitude would go on to hamper his abilities as a manager, something that is difficult to argue against. However, it has allowed him to carve out a niche as a pundit appealing to the 'the game is gone soft' brigade.
There are simply no excuses for sub-par performances in Keane's book:
- Have Liverpool's injuries played a part on their awful form this season? Doesn't matter, bad champions.
- Can a Spurs squad stacked with international players be as poor as Keane described? Sure international football is shite anyway.
- Is literally fighting your teammates in the dressing room the best way to turn around a poor performance? It's the only way they will learn.
Some would call this style of analysis 'honest'. Others might describe it as 'lazy'.
For the Irishman every issue is binary, something that can make for brilliant television. It is also a throwback to the bygone eras of punditry, something that Sky Sports had done so much to move away from over the last decade or so.
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher brought football punditry to a new level after joining the channel at the turn of the last decade, providing the type of in-depth analysis that had been absent up to that point.
Their use of technology to show the man on the street the minute details that can make all the difference at the top level was revolutionary. It certainly appealed to a new generation of supporters, ones that wanted closer access and a greater understanding of the game than fans in years gone by.
Regardless of the fact that the fixtures themselves are often underwhelming, Monday Night Football remains the best football show around due to the two hours or so of analysis that Carragher and Neville or another guest can provide, not only of that game but of the weekend's action in general.
That is not the role Roy Keane is being asked to fill. He is the lightning rod in the punditry team, with his cutting remarks usually the highlight of any post-match broadcast.
It makes for great TV and provides Sky Sports with a huge amount of clips that will have a sizeable reach on social media. We enjoy it as much as anyone, but it's also somewhat sad to see Keane typecast simply as the grumpy voice in the studio.
It must be said that it is a role the Cork native seems more than happy to fill. He knows exactly what he is doing when he labels Kyle Walker as an 'idiot'. The thing about it is that there is a nagging feeling that he is selling himself short by going down this route.
He may have been a player known for his ferocity, but the 49-year old also had a brilliant footballing mind. He should be capable of analysing the game as well as anybody while also keeping the wit that has made him so popular as a pundit.
Roy Keane has absolutely no time for Rangers winning the league 🤣pic.twitter.com/MRWtb2oEiJ
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) March 7, 2021
Perhaps Keane does not know how to articulate these thoughts to a watching audience, a similar ailment to what hurt his progress in management.
Then again, he is probably happy with the way it is at the minute. Some feel there is already too much over analysis in the game with the likes of VAR. They're happy enough to see the former United captain dig a few lads out after a game.
Whether Keane should personally demand more from himself, as he so often does from players in his punditry, is an altogether different debate...
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