Roy Keane slams 'arrogant' Ireland players and says it's a long way back after Armenia humbling

The former Boys in Green skipper says international football appeals to him but every 'Tom, Dick and Harry' was interviewed by the FAI previously

HOME THOUGHTS FROM ABROAD: Roy Keane discussed the current state of Irish football with Ian Wright, as well as Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and Gary Neville on the Overlap's Stick To Football. 

Roy Keane says the Boys in Green are a long way off a return to the nation's glory days of international football and criticised some 'arrogant' Ireland players.

And the former Ireland skipper, speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, admitted there's 'an emotional side' to the possibility of managing his country, but said the process which ultimately saw Heimir Hallgrimsson appointed was 'a farce' in which the association interviewed 'every Tom, Dick and Harry.' 

The Iceland native saw his side emerge from the recent international window with a single point from the first two games of the World Cup qualifiers, effectively ending any hopes of being in North America next summer.

"I still don't think players are playing enough for the highest level for some of the bigger clubs, there's a few obviously making a living in the Premier League," Keane said.

"It's been tough on the manager. Physically, they're not mobile. We got a couple of defenders there… oh my goodness."

"The other issue," he added, "[is] Ireland do have a few players who strut around like they are players and if they ever went into a decent club or a decent team, they wouldn't last two minutes and they're kind of the important players for Ireland. There's a bit of ego, a bit of arrogance for Ireland and they've got nothing to be arrogant about."

He continued: "Obviously, to lose to Armenia and get well beaten, that's the sore one. Ireland have had tough results over the years, of course. But if you're getting beaten by teams that you're expected to beat, then you are up against it.

"So the manager will be under huge pressure. The Irish media are really powerful over there.

"If you just compare obviously to England or even Wales, they do have a lot more players, obviously completely highest level and that makes an international manager job a lot easier.

"So when they turn up, they're already up to speed, they're playing top level matches. But are the Irish lads and I'm watching and some of them are playing in the Premier League, but they're not even that good in the Premier League. They're just kind of surviving themselves. A lot of players in the Championship. Ireland are a long way off getting back to competing at the top."

Keane was amongst a number of possible replacements for Stephen Kenny after his reign as Ireland boss ended. Asked if he'd be interested in the job again, the Corkman said: "I don't know honestly. You don't know until you're asked the question. It's not on my radar because there's a manager in the job. I hate talking about jobs when there's somebody in there. 

"There's obviously an emotional side there and for all the negative stuff, it is a great job for someone because you can go in and walk into national football and I love the flow of the job.

"I love the fact of having the players for that two weeks and there's a couple of games coming up. Of course, the England manager said the last few days he's loving the job because there's a different type of energy to your life. It's not that day-in, day-out.

"But you hope this manager can get his act together and get some results, but it doesn't look good."

"I think they spoke to everybody," Keane, who previously worked as Martin O'Neill's Ireland assistant manager, said of the FAI's search for a head coach. "They spoke to every Tom Dick and Harry.

"The reason you speak to them and the reason you might take the job is that you think you can help the team. Whether it be the issues with the lack of quality, you think you could try and get them organised and get a bit of fight and a bit of spirit. I know that's not enough always.

"But they do lack real quality as well. But even that was a farce; the amount of people that have come out in the last six months and said they were offered a job, and they spoke to. But that's the FAI again... I said before they couldn’t organise piss-up in a brewery, it’s just one of them ones."