Former Blue Pablo Couñago has hit back at his one-time boss Roy Keane for his comments in his new book, The Second Half. Keane was highly critical of the 35-year-old Spaniard in the chapter about his time with the Blues, branding the striker “dead lazy” and revealing that he almost attacked him after a game.

Couñago, who is currently playing for his ex-Town team-mate Shefki Kuqi’s side FC Honka in Finland, sent TWTD a message to pass on to Blues supporters.

The love and respect I feel for ITFC and its fans is something he [Roy Keane] will never feel.

With my best wishes to the ITFC family!

Coincidentally, Pablo spoke to TWTD last week for a forthcoming Ex-File. Asked about Keane he said: "When you are a player and go into management it changes a lot.

“I didn’t know Roy Keane as a player, obviously I knew what he did as a player, but as a manager I think he is the kind of person that thought everyone had to play hard and run, and just do as much as you can.

"I think in football that is important but when you are running like the other team and fighting like the other team the one that is going to win is the one who is cleverer with and without the ball.

"He is the kind of person who thinks he knows everything and he was never going to understand anything about what other people told him, about how we could improve another way.

“When such difficult characters go into management you have to do whatever they say or life is going to be difficult.

“He won everything as a player but when he tried to do it as manager there was nothing, he will have a chance to be a manager in the future because of what he did as a player, but not as a manager.

“After the Ipswich job he didn’t get another job for a while because the other clubs start to know what you are like, and I don’t think he will get success in football as manager because he’s not that kind of character. He’s better as an assistant because he doesn’t have to do anything and he can be kept to one side.

"When you are in football you have to do as much as possible and I always tried to do as much as I could but for me people that don’t have respect in football or have respect for you, you don’t mind if they are bigger than you or smaller than you.

"Ipswich was like a big family and there was a good atmosphere around the training ground and he changed that. There wasn’t that feeling, a good atmosphere to work in, a good atmosphere of happiness.

“I think back on the time I spent with him at the training ground, it looks sad, it looks really different and he changed things and they didn’t work.”

Couñago was sent on loan to Crystal Palace, then managed by his former Blues boss George Burley, in August 2010.

“It was a difficult moment for me because [Keane] was trying to get me out of the club,” he recalled.

“I don’t know if it was because he didn’t want me to have that good relationship with the fans, because he said to me he never understood the relationship I had with the fans, why they sang my name, why they loved me. I think it annoyed him.

"It was a big surprise for me, how it looked like he was jealous of that. For me it was like ‘what’s going on here?’, someone like Roy Keane, one of the biggest names in Manchester United history, and now he is getting annoyed because the people like me.

"In that time he was saying so many things about me, that I was training badly, that I wasn’t professional and I never said anything about that because I have respect for football. But he said things about me as a player that I didn’t like, but I had to understand them because he was the manager.

"When I heard him saying things like I wasn’t training properly and I wasn’t professional, that hurt me a lot because it wasn’t true. But I didn’t say anything bad because I’m not that kind of person, I always felt frustration because it was difficult for me.

“He was the kind of person who could have everything and was never going to be happy. They look so big and strong standing there but really they are weaker than anyone.”

Photo: Action Images

elalaer9 added 15:12 - Oct 8 Ole, ole, ole, ole, Pablo, Pablo!
36

TractorRoyNo1 added 15:14 - Oct 8 Pablo top fella
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trncbluearmy added 15:15 - Oct 8 "I just hope he can find happiness in his life as, in my opinion, being that miserable must be very mentally draining." Classic Nice one Pablo,I know who I believe Ole, ole, ole, ole, Pablo, Pablo!
29

4-4-2 added 15:19 - Oct 8 thats why he was my favourite player.
13

Alwaysablue added 15:23 - Oct 8 WE LOVE YOU PABLO WE DO OHHHH PABLO WE LOVE YOU! At least someone has shown some balls and stood up to Keane's utter rubbish
15

BlueandTruesince82 added 15:24 - Oct 8 Trnc, advice some posters on here could take on board! Seems that an awfull lot of people found Keane difficult wherever he has been. Nice one Pablo
9

Lowestoft_Blue added 15:25 - Oct 8 Wasn't Roy Keane in charge when Pablo counago scored that 90th minute winner against Coventry? What an awful manager we had. If Mick McCarthy had the money Roy Keane wasted we would be a top 2 side. No doubt about it.
15

itfc1981 added 15:28 - Oct 8 Pablo would have won!
3

dford7 added 15:29 - Oct 8 The legend that is Pablo becomes more of a legend.
14

Steve70 added 15:35 - Oct 8 With the correct coaching Pablo could have been a legend , not just a crowd fav.Under Keane this was never going to happen. Wondered what TC could have done with him ? Ole Ole .............................
16

bluemikey100 added 15:36 - Oct 8 pablo you legend door is always open but for certain others slammed shut lol
6

Tufty added 15:49 - Oct 8 Lazy! Remember the home game against coventry lazy players give up when things go wrong they dont run down the other end and score. I would take pablo instead of two roy keanes any day of the week. Lets get Pablo inducted into the hall of fame and mr keane can be the first member of the hall of shame.
14

paristractor added 15:51 - Oct 8 I'm erect
4

bluearmy89 added 15:52 - Oct 8 Absolutely love Pablo! One of my favourite players of recent times! Keane, just liven up fella. Life is a tad short to be cursing everyone you worked with and who supported you. Just nip to the shop and buy some sweets that will go some way to cheer you up.
4

FriskinPriskin1 added 15:59 - Oct 8 After all this from Roy Keane I can't wait for the Paul Jewell sequel
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FriskinPriskin1 added 15:59 - Oct 8 After all this from Roy Keane I can't wait for the Paul Jewell sequel
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FriskinPriskin1 added 15:59 - Oct 8 After all this from Roy Keane I can't wait for the Paul Jewell sequel
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masetheace added 15:59 - Oct 8 Umm ! For me there is some truth in the lazy comment . Remember leaving a game against you know who saying he should never pull on the shirt again after he barely left the centre circle in ninety minutes
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dubblue added 16:00 - Oct 8 Some nice comments indeed. Pablo's playing was always going to annoy somebody like RK where 110% effort is required at all times regardless of quality.
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Bluetone added 16:04 - Oct 8 Pablo once again shows style, class and dignity and shows up Keane for the miserable disaster he has become in his failed attempt to be a manager. Keane was a very talented thug as a player who has proved to lack the skills required to become a manager. Because of his attitude it would appear that there are very many in the world of professional football who would not do business with him and would like to see him fail which he has done.

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bohslegend added 16:07 - Oct 8 I think I actually love Pablo. A true Ipswich legend.
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southernblue added 16:08 - Oct 8 Absolute legend!
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 16:10 - Oct 8 Bravo Pablo.
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charsfield added 16:14 - Oct 8 great choice of pic too
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linhdi added 16:15 - Oct 8 Absolute class from Pablo - and so articulately expressed. I hope his comments get the wider audience they deserve!
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