Someone at an Irish-based satellite station will be whistling in feigned innocence after foolishly fanning flames that Keane had walked out by speculating on why the manager had not travelled on the team bus to Blackburn on Friday.

And in some back room of some betting shop somewhere, a formerly panicked firm of Irish bookies will be quietly reinstating the betting odds they suspended on Keane leaving his job over the weekend.
Everyone can take a deep breath and just calm down.

This was a story that never was, but over the weekend it took legs and became one.

It all started when the club – contacted by a radio station – refused to comment on nonsensical internet rumours that Keane had walked out. So far, so normal.

But when the radio station actually broadcast that the club weren't commenting, the complete non-story suddenly became a story.

No smoke without fire, as the saying goes – although actually, in football, there's regularly smoke without fire.

The Echo initially ignored the speculation.

But the story became more of an issue when there were further broadcast headlines wondering why Keane had not boarded the team bus.

Much was spun from this – the first real fact of the story – yet it really was no big deal.

For it is not unknown for the manager not to board the bus, either going to a game or returning from one – particularly when the game is in the North West, near his home and family base.

Now though its meaning was construed to potentially mean so much more.

At this stage, with confusion increasing, the Echo put out a brief few paragraphs on our website for a couple of hours, pointing out that the rumours were rubbish. It received more than 6,000 hits in an hour and when – its point made – the Echo withdrew the story, that in itself was taken by some to mean more smoke, more fire.

By now, the story would not lie down.

National newspapers and regional newspapers name-checked it – feeling they had little choice – and even after Keane's appearance at the game on Saturday, broadcast media were still speculating.

Mark Lawrenson, on Match of the Day, is a respected pundit, but he might have done better than quip that it wouldn't surprise anyone if Keane just upped and walked out one day.

On Sky Sports later, former Sunderland player Phil Babb was doing the club no favours either with claims that he heard there had been a training ground confrontation.

And somehow, because Keane had had strong words with his players at half-time at Ewood Park in Saturday's 2-1 win, Djibril Cisse's sprint to the dug-out after scoring was portrayed as if striker and manager were making up after a major bust-up when, in reality, Cisse's gesture was intended simply as one of open-hearted support for his under-pressure boss.

It was incredible stuff. But it was stuff the club could have done gladly done without. The whole thing was a mess.

And of all the people involved, Keane was least impressed by it.

Internet rumours can be the bane of modern-day journalists' lives and the transfer window in particular is now a nightmare in an era where clubs increasingly play their cards close to their chests and transfer rumours spring up by the second and local media are expected to pass instant comment.

The Echo is not completely immune. Years ago now, it was taken in by a hoax claiming Sunderland were chasing a continental striker. The claim had plausibility because it was a player that former manager Peter Reid had previously confided to the paper he had been interested in.

Within 24 hours, media on the continent contacted by the Echo were insisting they'd heard the same rumours in their countries and that the story was genuine. It turned out to be proof that the internet rumour mill is international and instant.

One transfer story among hundreds is one thing though. Throwing into question the safety of a manager's job on the basis of Chinese whispers is quite another.

Undoubtedly there have been tensions at the club in recent weeks. There have been various different problems with players that have tested Keane's managerial skills and decision-making.

Keane's as-yet unsigned contract is another issue. And behind all this has been the backdrop of a series of defeats.

But it remained a case of "crisis? what crisis", until the threat of destabilisation caused by rumours that had gone out of control.

After Saturday's game, a clearly angered Keane said: "If you think I'm going to answer to football rumours then I'll be here all night.

"It happens in football and in life that some people add up two and two and come up with 10.

"It's just stupid.

He grew more annoyed though when it was suggested signing his contract would put an end to the uncertainty.

"Put an end to what?" he shot back. "There is no uncertainty. I'm very happy at the club, I'm in negotiations and I'm pretty sure that will be sorted out.

"I don't think my contract situation is anyone else's business.

"It's between me and the board to sort out and I've said before that we're probably the most relaxed people in the world about that.

"After losing four matches, a contract was the furthest thing from my mind – my job is to win matches and I am trying to progress things.

"Maybe I need to remind people how hard it is and how long it takes.

"This is the start of my third season at the club and I came in with a three-year plan. My mindset it is now looking at a bit longer. As far as this nonsense goes about walking out, all I can imagine is that people were very, very bored.

"That's all I can think of.

"Because there seems to be no logic to this sort of nonsense.

"I think it is a laugh. I think it is funny.

"People just come up with the fact that you've resigned. It is unbelievable."

At least one benefit from the weekend's events will be that people will take with the 'pinch of salt' the manager asked them to – at least for a few weeks – some of the wilder rumours that fly about.