“That’s what managers do. You’re meant to fall out with players.”
Roy Keane has said he would challenge Harry Maguire and David de Gea to prove him wrong if he was to become Manchester United manager.
Keane has been heavily critical of the pair over the last two seasons or so. Earlier this season, the former Red Devils captain called Maguire a ‘disgrace’ for his performances and last year he said he was ‘sick to death’ of De Gea.
The Irishman has said, however, that he would simply challenge the pair to prove him wrong if they ever worked together. He also took exception to a joke Micah Richards made about him taking over at Old Trafford following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal.
Roy Keane takes exception to Micah Richards’ joke.
“I joked on Sky… ‘Roy till the end of the season’,” Richards said on a Sky Bet video.
“Why would that be a joke?” Keane interjected.
“You said something about me falling out with players – but that’s what managers do! You’re meant to fall out with players.
“I’ll ask you a couple of questions here. I’m going to turn it on you. Have you ever been in the dressing room with me? As a player?
Richards: “No.”
Keane: “Have you ever been in the dressing room with me when I’ve been a manager?”
Richards: “No.”
“So why jump to these conclusions?” Keane asked.
“As a manager, you’re meant to challenge people. You’re meant to fall out with people. Managers do that.
“You might go, ‘You can’t fallout, whatever’. Obviously not. But there’s no doubt in my mind – I don’t mean Man United – if I went into a dressing room… I’ve managed in the Premier League, I worked with Martin O’ Neill at international level.
“I have to fight my corner, nobody else is!”
Roy Keane defends managerial career.
The former Republic of Ireland captain started his managerial career with Sunderland in 2006 and won promotion to the Premier League in his first season. The following year, he helped the Black Cats remain in the division.
Keane left mid-way through the following season and wasn’t as successful in his next position with Ipswich Town. The former midfielder exited his post in 2011. He was Martin O’Neill’s assistant coach for Ireland between 2013 and 2018 and had a brief spell as his assistant at Nottingham Forest. But a return to the dugout as the number one has, so far, yet to materialise.
Richards eventually dug himself out of a hole and clarified his joke, saying it was made in relation to Keane’s comments about Maguire and De Gea, two high-profile Man United players whom the pundit has heavily criticised
Keane: I would tell Maguire and De Gea to prove me wrong.
“I always fight your corner, “Richards said.
Keane: No … ‘Imagine if Roy blah blah blah’. Why is that funny?
Richards: “The reason why it is funny is because of De Gea and Maguire. That’s it – not because of the rest of the team.
Keane then said that, if he was to become Man United manager, he would challenge De Gea and Maguire to prove him wrong.
“The first thing you’d walk into the club, I’d pull them two I’d go, ‘I’ve been really critical of the two, prove me wrong’,” Keane said.
“And that’s the end of the conversation, if they get upset with it, go, no problems players are upset all the time. It’s not about the players liking the manager. The most important thing is you’d hope the players respect the manager.”
Richards moved the conversation on and asked Keane why he is not in the frame to be the next Man United manager.
“Obviously I’m not going to get the United job,” the Cork-native said.
Richards: “Why are you not? Why are you not? This is the whole conversation, why are you not going to get the United job?”
“They can’t afford me!” Keane joked.
You can watch the full video below.
🚨 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀: Episode 1 🚘
Back on the road again 🙌@MicahRichards & Roy Keane are heading home for the festive season where they discuss the United job, talk Christmas films and exchange some very thoughtful gifts 🎁🤣 pic.twitter.com/ZujCanBj6J
— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) December 20, 2021
