Roy Keane has faced questions after labelling one of his signings at Sunderland A.F.C. as the worst of his managerial career.
The Manchester United F.C. legend managed Sunderland between 2006 and 2008, later taking charge of Ipswich Town F.C.. He famously led the Black Cats to the Premier League by winning the Championship in 2006–07 and kept them up the following season, before stepping down in December 2008 with the club struggling near the bottom of the table.
Reflecting on his time in charge, Keane admitted that signing Pascal Chimbonda from Tottenham Hotspur F.C. was a mistake. Speaking on The Overlap, he said he ignored advice not to sign the defender, believing his Premier League experience would help — but described him as “hard work.” Keane even claimed he later warned Spurs against re-signing Chimbonda, only for them to proceed anyway, adding that pressure can sometimes lead to poor decisions.
In contrast, Keane also went against advice when signing Djibril Cisse, formerly of Liverpool F.C.. Despite concerns about the striker’s character, Keane said Cisse turned out to be one of the best professionals he had worked with.
Chimbonda, however, has since responded, saying he was surprised by Keane’s criticism as they had a positive conversation before he joined Sunderland. Speaking on the UndrTheCosh podcast, he questioned Keane’s managerial qualities and claimed the former midfielder was rarely present on the training pitch, adding that while he respects Keane’s playing career, he does not rate him highly as a coach.
