“Let me finish. Let me finish!”
Despite having his say on the Cristiano Ronaldo situation, ahead of Manchester United’s draw with Chelsea, it was clear that Roy Keane had more thoughts to share on the matter.
Keane’s former teammate was dropped for the away trip to Stamford Bridge for walking down the sideline at away up the tunnel, at Old Trafford, during United’s 3-0 win over Tottenham. The 37-year-old has held his hands up, after the incident, and vowed to do all he can to help the team.
Keane was never a man known for letting much slide, during his playing career and time as United captain, but his fondness for Ronaldo was clear as he tried to reason his actions while admitting the Portuguese was in the wrong. He declared:
“The fact he walked down the tunnel, he’s obviously been punished for it. But I try to see it from a player’s point of view, he’s obviously had enough, he’s lost the head, and I think it’s been brewing over the last few weeks with Ronaldo.
“But I will still try to defend him, he’s a human being, he’s got flaws, he feels frustrated that he’s not been getting opportunities and he’s had enough.”
Neville comment on Cristiano Ronaldo irks Keane
Following United’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea, Sky Sports were so keen to return to the Cristiano Ronaldo debate that they even had a promo reel run in advance.
Roy Keane returned to a point he had made earlier in the show – that other United players had done worse, in the past, and not been dropped from a match-day squad when fit and ready to play.
As Keane began to list players that had made personal calls or lapses, that cost United – including Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand and Eric Cantona – Gary Neville attempted to interrupt him. He was met with, “Let me finish, let me finish!” before Keane’s point was made.
For someone that is very often merciless with his takes on players, and modern footballers, Keane’s affection for Ronaldo, and his admiration of his work-rate, clouded his judgement. It was “dead right” that United punished Ronaldo but he could see where the five-time World Player of the Year was coming from.
Keane even went so far as to state that while he did not think United boss Erik ten Hag had ‘a vendetta against Cristiano Ronaldo’, he could understand how others may draw such conclusions.
To the Cork native, Ronaldo’s past deeds and his record as a striker that scores once in every two United games means he should have started, and featured in, a lot more games for the club. He scoffed at the notion that ten Hag wanted to put Ronaldo on against Spurs in the final minutes. “He has a good record against Spurs,” he argued. “He should have got at least 15 minutes.”
Gary Neville made a point that, in his opinion, Manchester United are performing better without Ronaldo in their starting XI. Keane could barely contain himself as Neville made his case:
NEVILLE: Scoring goals – I know this sounds crazy – is the most important thing in a football team, but you can be a better team without people who are just about being goalscorers. You can be. It’s happened time and time again.
Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, who was in the Sky studio and struggling to get heard, chimed, “It doesn’t happen that often.”
As Neville and Hasselbaink shared a laugh, Keane looked on disdainfully before nodding his head and looking down for a few beats. As Neville referenced Mark Hughes as a forward that could play more for the team, without being prolific, Keane shot him another look.
Hasselbaink attempted to come in, but Keane talked over him and argued that, “Cristiano Ronaldo feels – whatever has gone on – that he has been unfairly treated.”
The only shame, as the arguments raged on, was that Sky had to wrap their show.
Keane was up to high doh, by then, and most TV viewers were rapt.
Related links.
- Thomas Frank and Graham Potter interview each other ahead of Brentford v Chelsea.
- Jurgen Klopp takes legal action Man City ‘xenophobia’ claim.
- Graeme Souness reportedly set to quit Sky Sports at end of the season.
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