More like this
Roy Keane sparks uproar as he turns on Nani - video
Former United favourite delivers menacing rant, reducing fellow ITV panellists to cowed silence
AS A PLAYER, Manchester United hard man Roy Keane revelled in the kind of incendiary atmosphere that prevailed at Old Trafford last night.
But as the dust settled on United’s controversial exit from the Champions League, Keane, one of ITV’s panellists for the Real Madrid game, caused uproar among fans who used to idolise him when he insisted that referee Cuneyt Cakir was right to send off Nani.
- Is Mourinho after Fergie's job?
- Match report: Real's controversial victory
- Oi, ref: a history of questionable decisions
- Editor's letter: Nani vs. Nano
The red card, for what looked like an accidental boot to the chest of Alvaro Arbeloa, changed the match, incensed Old Trafford and left Alex Ferguson so "distraught" that he was unable to face the media after the match.
But Keane could hardly wait to get stuck into his fellow panellists - and Nani - in the aftermath.
During a heated exchange with Gareth Southgate, which left the former England defender looking genuinely unsettled, Keane growled: "Everyone's upset about it and it's slightly unlucky, but it's dangerous play. Whether he [Nani] meant it or not is irrelevant. It's dangerous play - it's a red card.
"You have to be aware of other players on the pitch. Does he think he's going to have 20 yards to himself?
Keane, who was sent off 11 times during 12 years at United, added: "Any time I was sent off in my career I always thought, 'Did I give the referee chance to send me off?' And if the answer is yes, then it's out of your hands."
His comments, delivered with calm menace, left his studio colleagues in no doubt about his opinions - and that was before he put the boot into the luckless Nani.
"Nani's a quick boy to go down anyway," said Keane. "He's not the bravest player on the planet."
The result was cowed silence in the ITV studio and absolute uproar on Twitter, where Keane was hounded by some and hailed by others as the voice of reason.
Musician Owen Parker commented: "Fairly sure a runner was sent to get Southgate a Fruit Shoot and some Smarties so he wouldn't cry in the ad break."
Many were quick to point out that it was not the first time Keane had tangled with Southgate. In 1995, the United midfielder was sent off in an FA Cup semi-final for stamping on his rival. A picture of the offence quickly went viral, and was even retweeted by Joey Barton.
Daily Telegraph sports writer Paul Hayward felt that Keane may have been "extending his grudge" against United. But Alex Spink of the Daily Mirror thought it was "refreshing to hear a sharp opinion from a football pundit on terrestrial TV".
On Radio 5 Live it was suggested that Keane, one of the few people not scared of Ferguson, now liked nothing more than "tweaking his tail". Though with his comments last night, he may finally have burned his bridges with his one-time employers.
·
Disqus - noscript
Intelligent comment by Roy Keane, bravo.. dear diddums fergie has a leveller, and can't take the pressure.. Angry old man !!, time to retire.. Wenger will shortly be available !!
Keane may be right, as far as the laws and red card.
When he added ""Nani's a quick boy to go down anyway....He's not the bravest player on the planet." he gave away his real purpose; Nani's bravery or otherwise was irrelevant; either it was a red card foul or it wasn't.
I rarely watch football TV but on a couple of occasions I have seen Keane. He is a vile man. As I remember, he has always been vile. But Ferguson loved him as a player.
It says a lot about Ferguson. It is an utter disgrace that such a low person was knighted.
Alex being a socialist should have refused the establishment bit of tin. As for yellow and red cards, I want Joe Cole and others to challenge the stupid rule of a yellow card for baring your chest. Bleeding absurd. Hopefully all eleven players will do the same next time and if another goal is scored same again, and get RED cards all round. The rule would soon be gone if the referee knew that all matches could not be played. Go for it - CHALLENGE this stupid rule.
Why should footballers wish to bare their chests?
Joe Cole? Cheryl, OK, but not Joe.
The baring of chests is just one of the silly chavvy behaviours to be seen in football matches; behaviours that turn reasonable people from the sport.
Over reaction as usual. I watched it live and yes Keane was sharp - but when was he ever not sharp? He has always been known for his toughness and his fight - that was key to him being the great United player he was. He simply pointed out that according to the rulebook it was a red card because intention isn't factored in so it doesn't matter whether Nani meant it or not - and he was correct. The other panelists didn't have any answer to that - and if they were cowed by the way he said it then they should know better because that's how Keane always talks. The only person who did have a counter to Keane's argument was, unusually, Andy Townsend who later said that you can't just follow the rulebook all of the time and that you have to interpret in context. I'd agree with that - and here the fact that Real were as surprised as anyone at the red card shows that no-one really saw it as a serious issue. The ref should have read all of that. As for Keane 'burning his bridges'- Keane is a united legend and if Ferguson or any Man U fans really want to fume about him being his usual cantankerous old self then they would be losing all perspective on what he has done for Manchester United. I doubt Fergie will give it a second thought.
Let's be realistic about this, Nani didn't tackle anybody and Arbeloa knew what he himself was doing with his own actions and created the issue by doing what HE did!
He not only revealed his true intentions, it showed that he only wanted to make a name for himself. No wonder he never succeeded as a Manager! Wasn't surprised he did not appear last night at the Tottenham v Inter Milan game. ITV should just sack him and let him go back to walking his dogs.
roy keane is an idiot, dangerous play happens all over the pitch throughout the game,players wouldn't get injured otherwise. hope that dickhead keane gets a smack of a lorry or something, prick deserves it
What did Roy Keane have to say about Vidic getting a double dose of fists from Diego Lopez as he tried to clear an aerial ball ? Was that not dangerous play ? Obviously Lopez didn't intend to hurt Vidic, and as such wasn't penalized. Where do you draw the line between Nani's foul and Lopez's, considering the latter had a clear line of sight ?
A lot of people just rush to say "The rule book says..." The so-called rule book generally gives guidelines to officials but a lot of the decision-making is down to discretion. I need a response to why Diego Lopez was not penalized for punching Vidic in the head.... It's called common sense !!!
good point about keane --- even as a callow youth at nottingham forest he was detestable. but his point about nani is absolutely valid --- he will fall over at the slightest opportunity & others are booked for his theatrics --- the biter bit, you might say --- spot on, keane.