Nuggets, this forum is awash with immaturity and whataboutery, that makes up around 95% of the content.
That's your opinion and one I do not agree with.
All those things are relevant to what people on here are saying and if they're not then drawing reference to anything at all needs to be ruled out in any sort of debate.
On a wider societal level, you can make those comparisons, but you're preaching to the choir. In relation to this forum, and those of us who are saying Keane is a thug, absolute rubbish, Hampy. You are pointedly implying that posters who say that Keane is a thug believe so due to, or partly due to his Irish nationality. Can you not see why people would be annoyed by that, including myself? I'm not anti-Irish in the slightest, but I can recognise when a footballer engages in thuggish on-field antics and I'll call him a thug whether he is Irish, English, Scottish, or European / Africa / South American etc.
I also at no point have defended Keane's actions. But that also doesn't stop him being a great footballer and I'm entitled to hold the opinion that he was.
I also think he's a great footballer, and a key part of Fergie's United side's success, but I also believe he engaged in thuggish on-pitch behaviour. I don't think you have to believe one or the other and I haven't seen anybody on here argue otherwise.
I haven't accused any individuals on this forum of racism - some may be, some may not be and it's not relevant to my argument
Well you haven't directly accused anybody of racism, no, but you're throwing out a lot of implications.
I raised the point that I reckon the reason he is so loathed when others who are just as bad but English are generally lauded is because of his nationality and I stand by that, it just seems to be a logical conclusion.
How about the viewpoint that violent players who do violent things on a football pitch are loathed for being violent? Keane is loathed because of his brutal assault of Alf-Inge Haaland, his poor disciplinary record, and Keane's own acknowledgment towards the end of his time at Manchester United that he had to curb his violent on-pitch behaviour because it was curtailing his career? His nationality doesn't come into it. Vinnie Jones is loathed, in the same manner, due to his on-pitch violence and assaults. His nationality doesn't come into it. Same applies to Lee Cattermole and Joey Barton (both English) and the likes of Luis Suarez and Kevin Muscat. All loathed for their on-pitch violence and assaults, their nationalities do not come into it. Now, I agree that some Englishmen will laud English on-pitch violence above other nationalities, but nobody on this forum has done so. By extension, some Irishmen will laud Irish on-pitch violence above other nationalities, Scotsman for Scottish players and so on, and so on. And don't forget that most people who laud on-pitch violence, will laud it regardless of the player's nationality, and bemoan how the game 'isn't what is was'.
I would argue both my viewpoint (violent players are thugs and therefore should be loathed regardless of their race, creed, religion, or nationality) and your viewpoint (Keane is viewed as more of a thug than English players because of anti-Irish racism) apply in places, although my viewpoint would be more prevalent. I believe that everyone who has commented on this thread saying Keane is a thug shares and adheres to something resembling my viewpoint than your own. In fact, Fieldmarshall has said as much if you read a little further up.
