Roy Keane's Aston Villa Exit Always Felt Inevitable, but Its Timing Still Jars

Perhaps the writing was on the wall as soon as one newspaper speculated last month that Roy Keane was about to head off to a jungle in Australia for a reality TV show.

As it turned out, the Irishman did not join the cast of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!—presumably the potential for one of the 43-year-old’s famous outbursts made the insurance premiums too exorbitant—but on Friday, Keane nevertheless managed to grab the headlines for his decision to resign as Aston Villa’s assistant manager after just four months in the role.

Keane had only taken the job in the summer but pointed to the difficulty of combining the job with his identical position with the Republic of Ireland national team and family commitments as the reason behind his departure.

"Ultimately, my roles with Villa and Ireland and combining my commitment to these have become too much," Keane said in a widely circulated statement. "It isn't fair to either Villa or Ireland, so I've made this decision."

When Keane was formally offered the job in the summer, following a period of informal talks with Lambert, Ireland head coach (and former Villa boss) Martin O’Neill said he was happy for Keane to take the job provided it did not impinge on his duties for Ireland (upon his arrival, Keane made a point of thanking O’Neill for being so accommodating).

Keane’s resignation seems to be the ex-Manchester United man living up to his side of the bargain.

If that is the case—it certainly seems to be the party line—then the timing is slightly odd. Following the recent international break, during which they lost to Scotland, Ireland now do not have another game until March 2015, leaving Keane with a full three months in which his workload under O’Neill is likely to be minimal at best (he may be handed a few scouting assignments and hold a few meetings with the rest of the staff, but the demands on his time will surely be less significant).

If Keane was really going to resign at Villa because of the demands on his time, it would have made sense to do so a lot sooner, when Ireland games were also coming thick and fast and he was travelling all over to meet his many obligations.

That is especially true considering his latest autobiography was published at the start of October; an event that saw him embark on a widespread, sustained publicity tour that surely occupied him every bit as much as his two existing jobs.

Few other assistant managers in the Premier League have cultivated such a high profile (admittedly, few have Keane's playing resume), although it is interesting that Villa’s manager, Paul Lambert, indicated that Keane’s decision had still come as something of a shock to him:

"

Roy came to me this morning and he informed me that, ultimately, the difficulty of combining both roles has prompted his decision, which I respect totally. In the brief period we have worked together he has been great in the role, and I understand his reasons for leaving.

"

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

Despite that, it is not hard to see why Lambert or the club might have grown increasingly frustrated with Keane. His responsibilities with Ireland will have undoubtedly blunted his value at Bodymoor Heath (during the international breaks, some clubs focus training on the fundamentals, something that is made harder if a key member of staff is away), but the club knew that would be the case when they appointed him, so they can hardly hold it against him.

They might not have been aware of the impending book launch, however, or had a full grasp of Keane’s seemingly unending ability to court controversy. Put all that together and Lambert may have wondered if his assistant's wealth of experience was worth all the baggage.

He caused a stir earlier this season by criticising Jose Mourinho’s habit of shaking hands before the final whistle (a Keanian argument if ever there was one—picking a fight over something that would appear to be a big issue to nobody but him) before getting himself involved in a dispute about Everton’s handling of their contingent of Irish players, which provoked a stinging response.

That came in the latest international break, during which he was also involved in an altercation with a fan and squared up to an official in the defeat to Scotland.

"I’m a big fan of Roy Keane, but he does say some stupid things," said Everton chairman Bill Kenwright, per Sky Sports, following the debate about how his club’s players were handled prior to international breaks. Lambert and Villa may have similar sentiments.

"In terms of him being disruptive or anything, no. Not at all," Brad Guzan, Villa’s goalkeeper, said last week (per the Daily Star).

"From a player's standpoint, Roy's on the training pitch every day. Whether you call it his first job or second job, he's always here."

Mark Runnacles/Getty Images

Keane’s presence had been credited with helping Aston Villa’s fantastic start to the season, which saw them claim 10 points from their opening four games. Since then, however, things have gone south very quickly; it would not be a leap to wonder if Lambert and the Villa board had decided Keane’s expertise was not worth the distractions and controversies that seem to follow him.

That, of course, is to ignore Keane’s perspective—famously single-minded, he may have become frustrated at working under Lambert or simply come to believe that the Villa ship is sinking and he would do well to jump now.

"We thank Roy for his time at the club and we wish him the best with Ireland," chief executive Tom Fox added. "Our focus now will be on working with Paul to identify the right person to work alongside him and to help us continue on our journey to return the club to its rightful place in the Premier League."

It will be interesting to see who the club get; the assistant manager’s job at Aston Villa has become almost as difficult to hold on to as the manager’s job at Tottenham in recent times. Keane only stepped into the role after Ian Culverhouse, his predecessor, had been sacked (along with fellow coach Gary Karsa) following an in-house investigation into allegations that have been kept out of the spotlight.

Keane’s decision makes it difficult to ignore the possibility that there is once again another issue at play here, one all parties feel is best kept out of the public domain. The demand on his time is a convenient line, but the timing of the whole thing suggests something else lies beneath the surface.

Perhaps Lambert and Keane’s relationship ultimately grew fractious. Perhaps the club found him to be too much of a distraction. Perhaps Keane is worried about the direction of the club, worried that being associated with Lambert may have a negative effect on his long-term prospects.

All are possibilities—a combination of all three would not be out of the question.

It will be interesting to see what comes next. Keane will focus on Ireland, perhaps increasing his various media engagements on the side (might we finally see him in the jungle?!). Villa will now work quickly to appoint a new assistant to Lambert and look to recover their form in the Premier League.

With the club having picked up just three points from their last eight games, Lambert’s new assistant may be forgiven for wondering if his tenure will end up lasting any longer than Keane’s four months; should results continue to be poor, Lambert—and any staff associated with him—might be the next man out of the door.