Fergie: Keane must be more tolerant

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Alex Ferguson has told his former club captain Roy Keane he will need to become more “tolerant” if he is to succeed as a manager.

Keane is preparing for his first game in charge of Sunderland this weekend, and Ferguson believes the demanding Irishman has to curb his temper and accept the limitations of others.

Ferguson told the Daily Mirror: “I wished him well and told him he will have to learn to tolerate things in football that he just doesn’t agree with.

“The most important thing he has to do is find a way of enjoying the job.

“Some players think they know what it’s like to be a manager but they don’t know, they can’t do. You’ve got to be prepared to learn and you’ve got to find a way to enjoy it.”

Keane walked out of the Republic of Ireland’s pre-World Cup training camp in Saipan four years ago over what he felt were his country’s poor preparations, while he often hit out at his United team-mates when he felt they were not trying hard enough on the pitch.

Meanwhile Stanislav Varga says he swapped Champions League football with Celtic for Sunderland after buying into Keane’s vision for the future.

The 33-year-old Slovakian returned to the Stadium of Light for his second spell on deadline day after former team-mates Keane and chairman Niall Quinn outlined their blueprint for success.

And the towering central defender admitted he took little persuading.

Varga said: “I am delighted to be back and delighted to play for a person like Roy Keane.

“There were three aspects to why I came here: the first, that Roy Keane is the manager; the second one, that Niall Quinn is the chairman; and the third one is that I always felt when I left Sunderland, I left here unfinished business.

“Every club I have played for, I have always wanted to do the best for them.

“I know those two people want to get Sunderland back to where it was before.

“I do not think Roy Keane as a manager would like to change his attitude and be second best.”

Varga saw Keane’s renowned determination to succeed at first hand at Celtic, and was impressed enough to accept his offer of employment.

He said: “He just wanted other players to give 100%, and I do not think he will change attitude as a manager. He will always ask the players to give everything to win games.

“He is a person who can lead players. He has tremendous respect from everyone.

“When he was a player, he had tremendous respect from his team-mates, so now when he is the gaffer, the manager, he just has that more. He is the main reason I came here.”

Varga first arrived at the Stadium of Light in an £875,000 move from Slovan Bratislava in July 2000 after Peter Reid’s side finished seventh in the Premiership.

He left in February 2003 as the club hurtled back towards the Football League, but his return has been warmly welcomed by fans, who still remember his debut with great fondness.

The 6ft 5in defender turned in a remarkable individual display as the Black Cats were battered by Arsenal on their own pitch in the opening fixture of the 2000-01 season, yet emerged as 1-0 victors courtesy of Quinn’s strike.