Roy Keane has advised players at the top clubs in the cash-rich EPL to ignore pressure to take pay cuts. Keane, currently without a club, said last week on Sky Sports: ‘‘There is pressure on players at the really big clubs, clubs with wealthy owners, to take pay cuts. The way I look at it now, particularly after the way I left Manchester United, I wouldn’t take a pay cut from anybody if I was at one of the bigger clubs. You take your wages and if you want to be generous, go ahead and do it. I don’t think players should feel pressured by clubs, particularly the bigger clubs, to take pay cuts. They have signed a contract, and your contract with a club is a personal matter. It’s up to the individual. If they want to stick to their guns and say they want their full wages when you’ve got a billionaire in the background, do it.
Don’t be swayed by some sort of pressure from the media, who write lies anyway about certain players.’’
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Meanwhile, St. Patrick's Athletic last week laid off their players and staff, becoming the third Irish club to do so. Sligo Rovers and Cork City both made the move after the pandemic closed down the League of Ireland. FAI interim CEO Niall Quinn said the association was toying with the idea of streaming games via a digital paywall and sharing the money between the clubs.
-- Sean Creedon
