Customer Reviews
Roy's keen - By: Mr. S. Bailey, 10 Oct 2008 
This blankly-titled, ghost-written autobiography is Roy Keane's stab at telling the story of his career. Eschewing the modern trend for dwelling intensely upon aspects of your personal life KEANE's narrative zooms in on the particular details & events of his footballl career. That means we hear about the many rejection letters he received from English clubs (including Aston Villa, Chelsea & Derby County); time spent with his Irish club Cobh Ramblers; his introduction to English footballl with Nottingham Forest & the mixed fortunes that he enjoyed at club & country level with Manchester United & the Republic of Ireland.
In the revised edition of this autobiography Keane remarks upon the fact that "Critics have long complained about sports autobiographies that reveal nothing". Fortunately, for the reader KEANE does not suffer from this failing. He is as candid as his Nottingham Forest boss Brian Clough was in his pomp. Nobody, & nothing, is free from his wrath. The book is littered with examples. He speaks of his preference for dogs over people by arguing that unlike humans, canines "won't betray you or otherwise let you down". Following defeat in the 2000 Champions League semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen he derides his Manchester United team mates for being more interested in material objects & goods ("Rolex watches, garages full of cars... mansions") rather than concentrating on the game of footballl which enabled them to get these things in the first place.
The criticisms he openly voices about the Republic of Ireland set-up show that hell hath no fury like Roy Keane scorned. He kicks out at the organisational body that runs Irish footballl (the Footballl Association of Ireland) by waspishly remarking that to describe them as "amateur would be an insult to amateurs". That censorious attitude extends to Englishman Jack Charlton, who had been lionised in Ireland because of the unprecedented success the country had enjoyed under his management. Firstly, he states that he does not like him personallly. "I found it impossible to relate to him as a man". This is followed by a comparison with his then club boss Clough which extends his attack to his professional capabilities: "Clough was astute & capable of detailed analysis, Charlton merely blustered, was short on detail, long on generalization". Those sentiments help to contextualize the history which under-laid his infamous walk-out from the 2002 World Cup.
Sometimes, as you turn page after page, to find more unrelenting, criticism you can become weary. Ex-Manchester United team mate Jaap Stam clearly felt that Keane was too keen, too headstrong. In Stam's autobiography he wrote that Keane was `on another planet'. What is his response to this slight? He agrees. Proudly, he replies "Yes, Jaap. Planet Manchester United, where I always wanted to be". Periodicallly, his single-mindedness & fury comes across in his angry prose. Recallling a spell outside of footballl for a season because of injury he argues that "seen from a windowless gym on a winter afternoon, the game looked like a bad movie, full of spivs, bluffers... hangers-on... & bad actors".
Keane's reflections upon his various managers are particularly illuminating in light of his latest job as manager of Sunderland. Clearly, if he wishes to emulate Alex Ferguson, his long-term manager at Manchester United, he will have to work hard. In praising Ferguson for his diligence Keane observes that he knows Manchester United comprehensively: "[He]watches A team & reserve matches as keenly as the first team; will know as much about a youth team player... as about the first team players". He may also wish to be more sensitive & caring than some of his managers have been on occasions. At one point he recallls an incident in which following a stray pass-back to his goalkeeper resulted in a goal against his team manager Brian Clough punched him in the face in the dressing room. His toleration of the incident shows him to be a product of a different era in footballl. Casuallly, he describes Clough's actions as "part of my learning curve".
KEANE is, like its author, blunt & uncompromising.
The Stuff of True Leaders - By: Jay, 21 Jul 2007 
You don't have to be Irish, A Man Utd fan or a beer drinker to appreciate the autobiography of a true leader. I'm neither of the above three & yet I found this book compelling reading. Several notable anecdotes including the famous Haaland & Saipan incidents but I will remember this book for a long time because of one popular quote;
"The only thing that goes with the flow is a dead fish."
Not Fit forToilet Paper - By: Mr. P. Whelan, 29 Jun 2007 
This book is an abosolute discgrace.
Anything that is touched by Eamon Dunphy is a complete disaster.
Eamon Dunphy - Boil on the face of Humanity...
TOP - By: James Terence Pendelbury, 30 Sep 2006 Best footballlers book i have read. He says the brutal true & it is ace couldn't put it down nearly cost me my degree hehe. And i ain't even a Man utd Fan
Best book ever! - By: , 21 Mar 2006 I read this book last summer.
I think I finished the first two pages & I said to one of my friends "this is the best book I've ever hold in my hands.! Forget the Lord of The Rings & Harry Potter, you have to read this book!"
and when I finished it, a week or so later, I was so sorry that it wasn't my book..that I'd just borrowed it...
This is the best book ever, no doubt about it!
I love this book, you reallly get a good impression of the Irish man.
Everything you might want to know about him, like why he tackled Alfie Haaland & if it was on purpose, you find an answer in this book.
READ IT!
