Soccer manager - Cheer on dream team

Already there is a whiff of sulphur in the air, a frisson of excitement following the news that Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane are expected to be named tomorrow by the FAI as managers of Ireland’s soccer team.

Given his track record, O’Neill’s appointment as manager will be roundly applauded. But reaction to Keane as his deputy is mixed, and understandably so, given the legacy of Saipan where he clashed with FAI hierarchy and was sent home from the 2002 World Cup by manager Mick McCarthy. Yet, love him or hate him, Keane brings a sense of attitude to the football scene.

Under this dream management duo, the players will know where they stand. And supporters who have drifted away will return to cheer on the men in green.