Keane is finished, claims Cascarino

(GETTY IMAGES)

Tony Cascarino believes his former Republic of Ireland team-mate Roy Keane is finished as a manager following his resignation at Sunderland.

Keane ended his 27-month reign at the Stadium of Light yesterday after a poor run of form left his side in the bottom three of the Barclays Premier League.

Cascarino was not impressed and does not think another club will take a risk on Keane now.

Cascarino told talkSport: "He's taken the easy option. He's not rolled up his sleeves and even with as much courage as Roy Keane says he's got, this is the end for him.

"He'll not manage again. No-one will give him the opportunity to manage a football club because they won't trust him. That's the bottom line.

"Up until the last few weeks where it's gone pear-shaped and he's not had the results, I thought he'd done a good job.

"But they are only two wins away from mid-table.

"You're going to have bad results in your management career as you do in your playing career. But you don't just walk away."

The reaction among Keane's fellow managers was rather more circumspect with his former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitting his surprise at the development.

Ferguson had been preparing to pit his wits against his one-time captain with Sunderland due to visit Old Trafford tomorrow and feels Keane's absence will be a blow for the Premier League.

"I am surprised," said the United chief. "Roy was a great player here and it is a pity. We wish him well."

Ferguson admitted, however, he was unsure whether Keane would ever return to the management ranks.

"It is difficult to say whether he will be back," said the Scot.

"He is an incredibly controversial character. Every week he always had something to say about the game. He was the same as a player.

"He is such an interesting character and did a decent job up there."

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes is convinced Keane will return to the game wiser and stronger.

Hughes believes his former United team-mate has much to offer on the coaching side.

He said: "Roy is a young man and still has a great future in the game. Maybe he just needs that breathing space to refresh himself, take a step back and learn from the experience.

"He will have had his reasons for leaving Sunderland. He is a very forthright and straight guy.

"Once he makes a decision he sticks to his guns. That seems to be what has happened here.

"You just sensed he was going to consider his future and possibly walk away and that is what has happened."

Another ex-United team-mate, Paul Ince, who now as manager at Blackburn is facing similar pressures, expressed his sympathy.

Ince said: "There are certain people out there who want to put you down and it's more so the young managers and that's the annoying thing, they don't want to give people a chance.

"Sometimes they can drive you out of a job and that's probably what they've done with Keano.

"I was very disappointed because Keano's an excellent young manager and we've been clamouring for new managers for years. We've had the same managers for the last 20 years doing the rounds.

"People forget what he did for Sunderland, taking them from near the bottom of the Championship into the Premier League. Not many managers could have done that."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the game will miss Keane, but expects him to be back.

The Frenchman said: "It is a surprise, but I can understand that.

"He is a passionate man, and I regret he leaves the job.

"When you are passionate, especially at the start of this career, you suffer immensely physically.

"Also because he is a passionate man, there is no other way for him to be in the job.

"When you are passionate about the game, you go out of it and then come back into it because there is no other way to be happy.

"That is why I believe he will be back."