Keane’s Irish Tigers tamed

Aston Villa 2 Hull City 1

Keane’s brooding presence on the touchline at Villa Park in his new day job has seen the team in claret and blue make an unbeaten start to the Premier League season, although the tradition of being knocked out of a cup by lower-league opposition was upheld by Leyton Orient in midweek.

It’s early days for Birmingham’s top-level under-achievers of course, although the locals say that referees don’t give two 50-50 decisions in the opposition’s favour now that grey beard comes hurtling at them from the dugout.