Martin O’Neill’s latest comments may offer an insight into the kind of environment that led to a blazing row between his assistant manager Roy Keane and two of his Ireland players.
The infamous row, which was detailed in an infamous Stephen Ward voice message on WhatsApp, saw Keane and Walters reignite a feud from their time together at Ipswich Town.
It allegedly started over knocks that had both players sitting out training during the summer international window of 2018.
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Then-manager O’Neill, speaking on this week’s episode of The Football Authorities podcast, revealed that he encouraged conflict within his dressing room.
He was discussing a row with his former Leicester and Celtic midfielder Neil Lennon when he admitted that he got into scraps with players himself on occasion.
One particular row led to former striker Tony Cottee and other teammates having to pull the pair apart.
O’Neill said: “It's funny how you never see yourself as others see you. And I used to think that I was fairly mild mannered.
“I'm certainly not that – I'm a football manager, and I had a kind of a raging temper in many aspects.
“I almost encouraged conflict in the dressing room, really. I say almost encouraged – I know there's some managers who shy away from it. I certainly never did that.
“And I didn't even mind the physical aspect of it, because I knew, or I was hoping, that if there were a couple of punches landed in the dressing room, that I as the manager would be okay.
“I did get into a couple of rooks with players. Neil – I don’t remember the ins and outs of it, whatever it was. I’m almost embarrassed to say this, but you know, you get into an argument that develops a wee bit further than that there, possibly getting hold of someone.”
O’Neill added: “I'm not exactly sure of that particular incident, but I certainly had loads of arguments with players. And generally speaking, I wasn't happy about the outcome, because I usually lost!”
Former Ireland international Ward, in his leaked WhatsApp message, revealed how a shouting match between Keane and the two players turned physical.
“Johnny (Walters) lost his head, jumped off the bench and walked after (Keane), grabbed his arm and said, ‘What's the story Roy? If you've got a problem say it to my face, don't f***ing walk off', and he was like, ‘I do have a problem, you're not training, you're getting soft, it's no wonder Dyche doesn't play ya, you're f***ing always looking for an argument like you are now’.
“He was like, 'No Roy, you are the one trying to cause an argument', and apparently they were squaring off to each other and having it off and had to be pulled off each other.
“All the lads were grabbing Johnny away from him... Johnny was going to kill him.”
Keane later gave his version of events when he spoke on an Off The Ball show, when he said of Walters: “He talks a good game. Imagine if he'd won a trophy.
“He goes on the TV about how he was harshly treated by me. He's crying on the TV about his family situation. Maybe he should lie low for a while. Have a look at his medals? That wouldn't take long.”
“Harry Arter went to Cardiff on loan, they got relegated. Wardy can't get in the Stoke team at the moment and they're down at the bottom of the league.”
Keane added: "Sometimes you're trying to motivate players. Did I get it drastically wrong with the situation at Sunderland? At Ipswich? Maybe they (players) got it wrong. Maybe they overreacted.
“Brian Clough (Keane’s manager at Nottingham Forest) - you're on about motivation - he punched me one time. He was upset and it was heated, I remember thinking, 'you're still a brilliant manager'.
“I came in the next day and trained. I didn't text somebody in the media or go on WhatsApp.”
The Football Authorities is available to listen to now on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes dropping weekly
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