The Richard Keogh Case, the Potter’s Preserver and Campbell’s Unusual Ban – Talk t
- Sam Greasley-Machin
- Nov 8, 2019
- 3 min read
Sol Campbell in action for Arsenal, credit; WikiCommons (Ronnie Macdonald)
Following a break in the Talk the Football League column it’s back covering the Richard Keogh situation at Derby and Stokes new manager in the Championship. Into League One Sol Campbell has introduced an unusual ban at the club and in League Two Macclesfield’s players strike over unpaid wages which could see them axed from one of the biggest competitions in the country, all of this to come in the latest column.
The Torrid Case of Richard Keogh
Richard Keogh’s whole case at Derby is utterly ridiculous and the saga drags on as the 33-year-old’s agent has come out and commented on how the situation has left Keogh feeling in the aftermath. The whole case at Derby is disgusting, as mentioned in a previous column, but particularly how the Rams have handled Keogh. Never should he have been sacked while the two actual criminals get away punishment free by the club.
‘Robustly defend’ Keogh, is the line the PFA are taking and rightly so. If the veteran centre-back had been a similar age to Bennett and Lawrence, you can almost guarantee he wouldn’t have been sacked. Especially for a club to treat their captain so unjustly, that’s not how to treat any player let alone the captain. If a club can’t be loyal to it’s most loyal of players how can a club expect loyalty to be reciprocated back in future. If one was sacked so should have been all three, no ifs no buts.
Stoke City can confirm that Michael O’Neill has been appointed as First Team Manager.
✍️#WelcomeMichael #SCFC 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/wqe9QdEQf5 — Stoke City FC (@stokecity) 8 November 2019
The Potters Preserver?
Nathan Jones was dismissed from Stoke following the Potters abysmal start to the season in which they have picked up a pathetic eight points. Last week Talk the Football League delved into why Stoke have fallen down the leagues as much and as drastically as they have, alluding to a managerial change. That change has happened with Michael O’Neill appointed in an attempt to preserve Stokes status in the Championship.
The 50-year-old has impressed with his national side, where he will still manage until the conclusion of the next European Championships. At the previous Euros O’Neill had enjoyed fair success considering the lack of quality in the side which really could play to his advantage as Stoke’s current side really is lacking quality. However, with a side bottom of the league it really is a risk to bring in a manager with no Championship experience, that said many of the clubs managers in the division are all within their debut season in management and in the Championship so is a gamble that could well play off. The former Shamrock Rovers boss has been promised significant funds in January and undoubtedly it is needed within the current Potters squad.
Sol Campbell’s Unusual Club Ban
Reports in the national media this week rumoured Sol Campbell has banned an unusual item, in ketchup, leaving everyone wondering who the sauces for that story are. Since the former England international’s arrival the Shrimpers have failed at add any further points to their already awful tally.
Following in the path of managers such as Antonio Conte and Paulo Di Canio, Campbell is not the first to ban the tomato sauce and certainly won’t be the last. Bans like this always seem a bit ridiculous but it is a game where all the small differences come together to make a substantial one, although ketchup really doesn’t seem the fault behind Southend’s dismal campaign so far.
Ketchup bottle, credit; Pixabay (Alexas_Fotos )
The Macclesfield’s Players Strike
Expulsion from the FA cup could well be the consequence of League Two Macclesfield Town’s failure to pay their own players and staff, who are now on strike over unpaid October wages. The players didn’t train on Wednesday and may refuse to play in the FA Cup first round this weekend which will result in expulsion from the competition as the FA states that is not a satisfactory reason to postpone play.
The Silkmen are yet to comment on the issue but the players are well within their right to strike, if it was any other job nobody would expect to work unpaid and that should be the case with footballers. It shouldn’t come down to how much they are paid, but merely a matter of principle.
Why not check out last weeks column here looking at the reasons behind Stoke’s demise, Southend’s saviour in their hour of need and the updates of the Bury saga. Don’t forget to follow Talk the Football League on Twitter to hear all the latest Football League news and join in on the discussions @TalktheFL.
By Sam Greasley-Machin
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