Roy Keane has dismissed former Manchester United team-mate Dwight Yorke’s assessment of his management style made in his latest autobiography. Yorke, whose new book is currently being serialised in a national newspaper, played for Keane during his time as boss at Sunderland.
Keane says he hasn’t read the newspaper featuring the extracts but rejected Yorke’s claims that he led by inspiring fear: "I certainly wouldn’t agree that I try to rule with fear.
"Players are entitled to their opinions and obviously they’re selling books. I think that would be Yorkey’s second or third book now, so he must be stuck for a few bob.
"I take on board comments from people who I have respect for in the game and Yorkey’s not someone I’ve got respect for in the game. I had previously, but this was even at Sunderland.
"If he thought that, he was quick to sign a new contract and then didn’t try a leg in his last season at Sunderland and went back to Trinidad for reasons that had nothing to do with football. Maybe he’ll put that in his book.
"You’ll have to ask the players, I don’t think I rule with fear, I don’t think that works, it might the odd weekend if you want a reaction from players. But I’m pretty sure if I want to be a manager over a long period it won’t, be it at Ipswich or Sunderland. You’ll maybe have to ask more than one player.”
Keane says he left Sunderland because of outside interference after changes in the boardroom two years into his time as manager: "What I couldn’t tolerate in the end was being told what to do and where to live and how to treat my players.
"I thought the way I had worked at Sunderland had worked, but other people all of a sudden weren’t happy, yet previously it was ‘thumbs up Roy, you’re doing great’.”
The Blues boss says he hasn’t suffered the same issues during his first few months at Town: "So far, they’ve let me get on with the job. Obviously there have been conversations about stuff, as there would have been with my previous chief executive, but it’s the way people speak to you that’s important and I need to be treated with respect.”
Keane says he is enjoying life in Suffolk: "I’m happy here, the family are happy, but obviously I know in football you’ve got to get results to go with it. What happens to me is not important, it’s all about the club and the players and we’ll keep working hard and that’s all we can do."