Soft is the new smart

ROY’S Gone Soft was one tabloid’s take on Mr Keane’s coup in persuading kid of the hour Anthony Stokes to sign for Sunderland.

We can take it, I think it’s safe to say, that the headline wasn’t sent to the manager’s office in the Stadium of Light for clearance.

Keane may indeed have opted for a softly-softly approach in courting Stokes but there was nothing wishy-washy about the barbs he subsequently aimed at rival clubs for putting what he felt was unfair pressure on the 18-year-old.