Sunderland defender Clive Clarke has delivered a damning verdict on manager Roy Keane's ability to coax the best from his players.
With the Black Cats firmly entrenched in the battle to beat the drop from the Premier League, the Irishman's powers of motivation will need to be at their sharpest between now and the season's conclusion.
The former Manchester United skipper's calm-headed demeanour on the touchline is in stark contrast to his snarling presence as a player, but Clarke has claimed his polished persona is very much a facade.
Clarke, facing a battle to return to the game after suffering a heart attack whilst on loan at Leicester, claims his manager is refusing to speak to the players as Sunderland's form continues to falter.
And the defender doubts whether the Irishman will be able to deal with standards that drop below his exacting own.
In comments reported in the Daily Telegraph that initially appeared in the Sunday Independent, Clarke said: "I spoke to him a couple of times at the club and he rang me when it (Clarke's heart attack) happened which was nice of him, but we're not very pally so there's no real reason to speak to one another.
"I probably speak to him more than the players who train there every day even now. He's going around booting chairs and throwing things. He's never going to give you confidence, he doesn't talk to lads.
"If the lads at Man United couldn't reach the standards he wanted, and they're some of the best players in the world, then it's going to be a lot harder for the lads at Sunderland to reach them."
With the Black Cats firmly entrenched in the battle to beat the drop from the Premier League, the Irishman's powers of motivation will need to be at their sharpest between now and the season's conclusion.
The former Manchester United skipper's calm-headed demeanour on the touchline is in stark contrast to his snarling presence as a player, but Clarke has claimed his polished persona is very much a facade.
Clarke, facing a battle to return to the game after suffering a heart attack whilst on loan at Leicester, claims his manager is refusing to speak to the players as Sunderland's form continues to falter.
And the defender doubts whether the Irishman will be able to deal with standards that drop below his exacting own.
In comments reported in the Daily Telegraph that initially appeared in the Sunday Independent, Clarke said: "I spoke to him a couple of times at the club and he rang me when it (Clarke's heart attack) happened which was nice of him, but we're not very pally so there's no real reason to speak to one another.
"I probably speak to him more than the players who train there every day even now. He's going around booting chairs and throwing things. He's never going to give you confidence, he doesn't talk to lads.
"If the lads at Man United couldn't reach the standards he wanted, and they're some of the best players in the world, then it's going to be a lot harder for the lads at Sunderland to reach them."
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