News: It's been a long and rocky road; at times it seemed this process would never have a peaceful end, and, less than a month before the warring parties are due to come face to face again at a venue in the English midlands, not even General John de Chastelain, you'd imagine, could be certain they had put their respective weapons beyond use.

Sky Sports were so confident they hadn't, they added the meeting to their list of live games, the assumption being we'd be treated to manager-cam for the night, the game entirely ignored, on the off-chance we'd get Saipan II.

But now it seems as though the warring parties could be destined to become the Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor of football: a break-up one year, a lusty reunion soon after.

Perhaps that's pushing it, but according to one of the parties the pair have decommissioned their most lethal weapons: their tongues.

"I wanted to inquire about a couple of players and I always believe that you should speak to the manager direct," said Mick McCarthy yesterday. "That's no different with Roy now he is manager at Sunderland, so I picked up the phone and he accepted the call.

"It was about time that all this stuff with Roy and me came to an end, it's been four years now and it should be put to bed. Life goes on, but everyone else seems to want to drag on what happened between Roy and me.

"I'm pleased I spoke to him. I made the call, he accepted it and we had a chat. I think both of us thought it was time we did speak. It is time to move on and get on with our lives and careers. I wanted to speak to him about some players and it was a very cordial chat.

"The only two people who weren't getting anything out of it were me and Roy. It's the media that drives it on, and we've both got difficult enough jobs without others putting spanners in it. The circus might not come to town now," he said, in reference to that Wolves v Sunderland game on November 24th.

Keane's response to the conversation, ahead of Sunderland's game last night against Cardiff City, was a touch more reserved: "Mick is interested in taking two players on loan to Wolves. What happened in the past wouldn't prevent us from doing business," he said.

One of the players in question is Neil Collins, the other is rumoured to be Tommy Miller. Sunderland supporters often threaten to use the Trades Description Act against both men, arguing they have no right at all to label themselves "footballers".

Harsh, but in-depth research last night (ie, a quick trip to a Sunderland website) gave us an alternate view of the kiss-and-make-up: "If Mick is offering to take those two t**** off our hands, is it any wonder Roy would talk to him, like."

Still, what we wouldn't have paid to be a fly on that phone line.

Secretary: "Mr Keane, there's a Mr McCarthy on line two."

Roy: "Who?"

Secretary: "Mr McCarthy. He says he's an old friend but you haven't spoken in a while."

Roy: "Right you are, put him through."

And then we enter Gift Grub-land, or I, Keano - The Sequel.

Mick: "Hello?"

Roy: "Who's that?"

"It's me, Mick."

"Mick who?"

"Mick McCarthy."

"Hello Mick."

"Hello Roy. How's Triggs?"

"Fine thanks. How's Wolves?"

"Fine thanks. But we'd be better if we had Neil Collins and Tommy Miller on loan - we'd even pay their wages."

"Mick?"

"Yes Roy?"

"I love you."

But Roy has plenty of other things to worry about these days, not least the form of his team. At the weekend they got a late winner against Hull, but last night two goals from Michael Chopra gave Cardiff a 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light.

Chopra inflicted a nightmare start on the hosts at Hallowe'en, finding the net after only four minutes.

Keane's men equalised soon after thanks to a Chris Brown header, but Chopra restored the visitors' advantage midway through the first-half.