There are no prizes for guessing the worse cop in this equation.
Martin O’Neill says he has an excellent working relationship with Roy Keane, and believes that the former Ireland and Manchester United captain is enjoying his role with the national team.
The Ireland manager and his assistant will lead the Boys in Green at next summer’s European Championships and O’Neill feels that Keane is excellent for the players in the squad.
“Roy has been just excellent,” he told Fifa.com.
“In every aspect I can think of, I’ve been delighted with his contribution and how the relationship has worked. Clearly there’s an age difference between us and, while he’s been a manager before and will go back to that again soon I’m sure, I think he’s enjoyed this role.
“Those extra years I have on him don’t guarantee respect, of course – you have to earn respect from Roy Keane as we all know.
“But we get on very, very well together. He’s excellent for the players too because he’s a lot closer to their generation and they all remember and admire him for what a wonderful, iconic player he was. Having said all that, these will probably be famous last words when you hear in a couple of months that he and I have had the biggest bust-up of all time!
“Joking aside though, the dynamic seems to have worked very well and it’s been a joy having him in that role.”
O’Neill stressed the importance of getting some enjoyment out of managing the Ireland team, and joked about Keane’s reputation as the ‘bad cop’ in the relationship between the two.
“I do not want to change my image as a bad cop! But I think someone described the two of us as not so much ‘good cop, bad cop’ as ‘bad cop, worse cop’. You’d have to ask the players whether that’s about right.
“The thing is, we’re both really, genuinely enjoying it. And although things like enthusiasm and enjoyment might seem simple and trivial, they can be so important in football. Especially if they rub off on the players.”
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