Now McCarthy has confirmed that he has spoken to Keane about the possibility of loaning a couple of his Sunderland players.
"You should speak to the manager direct so I picked up the phone. We both felt it was the right time to talk. It was a cordial conversation," McCarthy told the clubs official website.
"We chatted about the players and a couple of other things that will remain private.
"It's been four years now and it should be put to bed. Life goes on. 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."