Football: Ipswich Town fan Nick Wells is wary about the bright new dawn at Portman Road
HE'S a fiery Irishman, who has been criticised for his wasteful transfer dealings, poor man-management skills, a prickly relationship with the media and is still wet behind the ears in terms of years in the dugout.
Is it, our now former boss, Jim Magilton I'm talking about, or our new leader Roy Keane?
There is no doubt there are some distinct similarities between the pair but also some big differences too. Keane will increase the club's profile considerably and he is sure to prove a big pull to prospective signings in the summer, neither of which Super Jim could offer.
And regardless of the hefty transfer funds he had to splash at the Stadium of Light, he did, in the words of a friend who reports on the Black Cats, 'haul Sunderland off the floor' to take them to promotion in his first season.
Keeping them in the Premier League in his second season was no mean feat, even if some of his expensive transfer dealings appear to be frivolous.
The Manchester United legend's achievements still dwarf what Magilton did during a similar time at Portman Road.
The Doncaster debacle was the final nail in the coffin of Magilton's reign.
It was obvious he was was no more certain of what his best team was in April, than he was in August.
While with the exception of Richard Wright and Gareth McAuley, since the arrival of Marcus Evans' millions, Magilton's expensive signings have not done anything to make us look close to promotion candidates.
And what they lacked in quality, they could not make up for in spirit or character.
Jim's judgement simply couldn't be trusted to spend the next Evans transfer warchest.
Though the reports that Magilton was sacked by phone while on compassionate leave seem callous on a human level, professionally I felt the timing was perfect.
Super Jim was a legend as a player at Portman Road and it hurt to see him barracked after the Doncaster match.
Instead his last game was a derby victory over Norwich, which was the perfect wake to wish him well and remember the good times, even if we didn't realise it at the time.
Keane would not have been my choice as the new manager, I would have preferred Alan Curbishley (if willing and available) or Glenn Hoddle, but he is certainly more exciting than the likes of Neil Warnock and Alan Pardew.
Fasten your seat belts, I'm sure we're in for one hell of a roller coaster ride with Keano at the helm.
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Thursday 02 September 2010
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