In the build-up to Manchester United’s home clash against Liverpool, Roy Keane and Michael Carrick found themselves having a fierce disagreement
Roy Keane and Daniel Sturridge clashed
Roy Keane and Daniel Sturridge snapped at each other while debating about Michael Carrick, before Manchester United’s home clash against Liverpool.
The former United captain and ex-Liverpool forward were both on punditry duty for Sky Sports before Carrick’s side took on the defending Premier League champions. With United currently sitting pretty in third place, many are beginning to tip Carrick to be handed the job on a full-time basis.
Victory for the Reds would wrap up their place in the Champions League, something few would have foreseen when Ruben Amorim was sacked at the start of the year. Before the match, Sturridge and Keane debated the idea of the ex-midfielder being given the job permanently.
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However, their spirited debated became spiky when Sturridge cut off the former Reds captain. The exchange began with Keane saying: “They have produced and we go back to the start of his time, beating Man City and Arsenal.
“That gave a lot of belief and confidence in the group, and what they have shown is that goal threat. They have had their setbacks, up at Newcastle, the Leeds game here, but they have bounced back well. So they obviously have a decent momentum and there is a decent feel in the group. But this is the next test for them today.
“We mentioned it earlier, I think this will have a big bearing on, if they can get a good result today, whether he gets the job or not.
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“I know you shouldn’t just focus on the one game, but I think the emotional side of it. I think if they can get a good positive performance today, I think that is a big step in him getting the job permanently.
“There’s a lot of PR, there’s a lot pf push for him. He’s a young English coach, a lot of media onside for him pushing him. The people who work for Man United, the PR machine is working hard to ty and get him in the job.”
Baffled by the final sentence, Sturridge interjected and bluntly asked “All right Roy, what PR,” to which, Keane brusquely replied: “Do you want me to finish,” propting Sturridge to say: “You keep saying PR, PR,” before the Irishman, again, hit back by saying: “There’s a lot of PR toward him, if you just let me finish.”
The awkward and spiky exchange ended with Sturridge pulling back, by saying: “I had to interject, I apologise.”
In contrast, Gary Neville, said: “I’ve been on the record about Michael in terms of whether he should get the job or not. What I would say is, I am unsure.
“But my gut feeling was, before he got the job, was that Manchester United should go out and appoint a world class manager and the very best that they can, who has a body of work with the Champions League and experience winning league title, and Michael obviously doesn’t have that.
“He’s been at Middlesbrough, learning his trade, so I don’t think we are on a different page to that. What I would say is, ‘Who is out there?’ that’s the question everybody asks, right now, that’s available who can come in and takeover from Michael. What he has done is settle the club down on the pitch.”
Carrick and Keane do not have the best relationship. Twelve years ago, Keane criticised Carrick’s display in a defeat to Olympiakos, which prompted the United interim boss’ wife Lisa to post on social media, “Roy Keane what a ****, says anything to get a reaction. That’s all done,” before deleting the post.
In an episode of the Overlap this year, Keane made it clear he has not forgotten the comment, when he said: “His (Carrick’s) wife can always come in [if Carrick doesn’t do well], cause she’s got a bit of a big mouth sometimes. She’s probably doing the team talk.”
The United icon, however, did earlier this year admit he ‘hopes’ Carrick is given the job after initially talking down his appointement along with Jonny Evans as coach.
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