Tunnel vision Roy’s new anger management

‘ROY RAGE’ was one of the biggest back page headlines of the week, suggesting the confrontation with Patrick Vieira in the tunnel at Highbury marked a return to the good old bad old days for His Corkness.

Not so. What happened before kick-off last Tuesday was more red alert than red mist, and what unfolded afterwards on the pitch served only to underline how thoroughly Roy Keane has overhauled his approach to the game but, crucially, without sacrificing the fighting spirit which helped make him one of the most formidable competitors of the modern age.

You could argue that, back in Saipan, Keane allowed his anger to control him. What the incident in the tunnel clarified is Keane now controls his anger. The verbal clash with Vieira was stirring stuff with the exception of Gary Neville, who might well feel a little mollycoddled, and there can be few observers who didn't clench a fist and cheer when Keano more or less suggested that Big Pat pick on someone his own size.