Football fans can breathe a sigh of relief - Roy Keane is back on our screens.
The Ireland and Manchester United legend appeared on Sky Sports ahead of the new Premier League season, alongside Micah Richards, Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville, and Jamie Redknapp, to look ahead to the new Premier League season.
Keane was asked if he saw any teams capable of taking the fight to the perennial Manchester City and Liverpool, and said that his boyhood club of Spurs could be the ones to make that step up. Despite this, Keane said major changes were needed in their mindset if they were to close up the gap to the top two.
Roy Keane hopeful Spurs can shake off "DNA" issues
Roy Keane punditry being back on our screens is set to be a brilliant highlight of the new season, and he made some interesting comments on Tottenham Hotspur on his first appearance of 2022/23.
Speaking on Sky Sports' season preview, Keane was asked if he thought any of the chasing pack would be able to put pressure on last season's top two, Manchester City and Liverpool. League winners City finished a whopping 19 points ahead of third place, as the gulf between the big two and the rest got even bigger.
Keane believes that, if anyone is to bring the fight to Liverpool and City, Antonio Conte's Spurs side are the most likely to do so. When asked why, he said:
The manager, recruitment, Gary mentioned earlier that they've got one world class striker - two unbelievable, brilliant goalscorers [Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min]. If they stay fit, then Spurs have a great chance in terms of competing, obviously doing better than Arsenal, Chelsea, and United, that little group behind the top two.
I think Tottenham can do it. Brilliant manager, they've got momentum into the club, recruitment...Spurs usually can drag their heels during the summer but they've got their business done early. They've got decent strength in depth.
I think Spurs could have a brilliant season.
Many of this Spurs squad have been involved in title battles before, including Kane and Son. Spurs finished third in the league in 2015-16, and second in 2016-17, but both were title races in which they faded away late in the season.
They are now 14 years without a trophy, and their tendency to come up just short has regrettably earned the club a reputation.
Roy Keane was asked what Spurs' biggest weakness was, and pinpointed these mentality issues as something that could hold the team back. Boyhood Spurs fan Keane said:
I suppose the DNA in their club, where there's expectation with the club. This is Spurs, over the years they've been classed as a cup team, I suppose.
You always think Spurs, I've said it many times on the TV, they always let you down. I was a Spurs fan as a kid.
Now you have the expectation - can they back it up? That would be the only doubt, can they step up to the plate and perform week in, week out and have a fantastic season in terms of pushing those top two?
Micah Richards fought back against Keane's optimism. Richards said that the presence of Champions League football for Spurs this year not only increases the workload for their big players, but increases the risk of injury. Richards said that the drop off in quality from the first choice XI to the subs and reserves was dramatic, and said he did not see Spurs maintaining consistently high performance.
Richards said: "I don't see Spurs getting to that level, they might win the odd game. Spurs won the first game last season against City on the opening day - but over the season, I don't think they can sustain that."
Spurs do seem the best placed to take third place in the league, with rebuilds underway at Manchester United and Chelsea, and Tottenham looking the better of the two North London clubs based on last season's finish.
Whether Roy Keane is right, and they can be expected to contend for a top two finish next season, remains to be seen.
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