'You're treading on eggshells every day' - Harry Redknapp on Roy Keane row and how the game has changed
Wednesday 12th September 2018
Harry Redknapp has said that managers can no longer berate players like they used to in the past after being asked about Roy Keane's altercations with Jon Walters and Harry Arter.
Martin O'Neill found himself having to defend his "brilliant" assistant manager as they prepared for tonight's friendly in Poland after an alleged foul-mouthed rant from the former United skipper.
Audio emerged on social media supposedly of defender Stephen Ward outlining a version of Keane's training ground altercation with the pair during the summer.
In it, Ward claims that Keane called Cardiff midfielder Arter, who is on loan from Bournemouth, a "p****" and a "c***".
The manager admitted last week that Arter's decision to make himself unavailable for Ireland could have been down to the row, but disputed the detail of the account provided by Ward - who was not there at the time.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Redknapp said that modern players will no longer tolerate being ranted at.
"You've got to tread a bit more careful than you used to that's for sure, it's a very different game to manage these modern players," he said.
"You can't be steaming into them every day because they don't have it anymore.
"Years ago I think we used to sit there and take it and the manager would shout and scream at you. It's not done anymore. I'm not saying that Roy... I don't know what's going on there. It's a very different game today.
"The players are very, very sensitive. They've all got agents who ring the chairmen when you upset them. You're treading on eggshells every day really."
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