Ben Guest
Roy Keane is a man who knows a thing or two about the sometimes fractious relationship between player and manager – well, he should do, he has had enough of them – but the former Manchester United captain has said that there are too many crybabies at his former club.
Manchester United seems to be a club engulfed by turmoil at the moment, both on and off the field, with Jose Mourinho seeming to be at the centre of the problems. Whether it be the negative style of play that has seen his side make their worst start to a season in 29 years and currently sees them without a win in four games, or his strained relationship with a number of his high profile players, Mourinho is a man under pressure.
However, Republic of Ireland assistant manager and former United captain Keane, who has had plenty of bust-ups himself in the past, has said that the Man Utd players need to put aside their differences with the manager and play for the shirt, saying that some of the current squad are crybabies:
“You talk about footballers and managers, not every player is going to get on with their manager and not every manager is going to like every player,” said the 47-year-old to Notts TV.
“But what you do as a footballer, and I’ve had one or two disagreements, [but] when you cross that line, you play for your team.
“I don’t care what fallout you’ve had with your manager, I don’t care if you’ve been at each other’s throats. That is part of the industry. People do fall out. Unfortunately, when you’re Man United – one of the biggest clubs in the world – things will get exaggerated.
“And if you’re a footballer for Manchester United, you put that jersey on, you walk out and you don’t give 100 per cent because you might be upset with somebody then good luck to Mourinho with this stuff.”
Keane then added: “I’m not talking about Pogba. I’m talking about players in general. Players who get upset with a manager or a coaching staff and think ‘I’m not going to train properly because somebody upset me’. There’s a lot of crybabies out there.
“When you walk out on that pitch you’re playing for your pride, you’re playing for your family, you’re playing for your city, whatever it might be. Don’t get that worried about what the manager’s said about you, or the coaching staff, you get out there and play.
“You can follow it up after the match but when the game’s going on liven up. Play with pride, play with energy, play with spirit.
“Hopefully play with a bit of skill. But on your bad days you roll your sleeves up and you fight for that jersey.
“Don’t get distracted by the balloons out there.”