Roy Keane clashes with Gary Neville in heated argument over Man Utd changes | Football | Sport
Roy Keane clashed with Gary Neville about the make-up of Michael Carrick’s backroom staff (Image: The Overlap – Stick to Football)
Manchester United icons Roy Keane and Gary Neville have clashed over Michael Carrick’s revamped backroom team, particularly regarding the appointment of several former players. Keane questioned whether Jonny Evans possessed sufficient coaching credentials for a first-team role, whilst Neville applauded the arrival of former England assistant Steve Holland.
Carrick’s new-look coaching setup includes Holland, his previous Middlesbrough assistant Jonathan Woodgate, recently retired United defender Evans, and under-21s manager Travis Binnion. In a heated discussion, Keane challenged Neville’s assessment, dismissing suggestions that Holland’s pedigree automatically makes him a coaching ‘guru’.
On the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast, Neville remarked: “Steve Holland, I’m not saying it’s going to bring success, but he is a serious operator. I think it’s made Carrick’s staff better.”
Former United midfielder Keane swiftly countered: “What about the other coaches he’s brought in?”
Neville responded: “The other two look like people he’s sort of relied upon. I don’t know, I’ve never seen the other two coaches.”
“He’s on the beach two weeks ago, Jonny Evans,” Keane fired back. “Jonny Evans leaves Man United four or five weeks ago as a loans manager and then Darren Fletcher gives him a job, strangely enough.
“He has two games, Fletch goes and Carrick gives him a job, great isn’t it. We should all go to Barbados for a week. You’re on about getting your coaching staff in, you’re praising one of them saying he’s experienced and then we just let the other two go, Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans.
“What has Jonny Evans done to be a coach of Man United’s first team? He left the job four weeks ago, loans manager and ironically comes back working with the first team. That’s a big step up isn’t it?”
Arsenal legend Ian Wright concurred, saying: “It’s a massive step up.”
Keane responded sarcastically with: “Thanks Ian,” prompting laughter from the rest of the panel, which included Jill Scott and Jamie Carragher.
Neville tried to explain his position, stating: “When Michael gets announced I think, ‘okay he’s going to come under a lot of pressure, needs to make sure his information on the training pitch is s*** hot’.
“If he’d have just brought in Woodgate and Evans that would have made his job a lot harder I think.”
Keane further challenged Neville regarding Holland’s appointment as assistant manager, asking: “Going back to what I said earlier, with Steve Holland, you think what United need at this moment in time, is it just about coaching then?”
The heated discussion took place on the latest episode of Stick to Football (Image: The Overlap – Stick to Football)
Neville replied: “My point is, if Steve Holland is on the training pitch at least you know they’re going to get top class training sessions. I’m not saying they weren’t before because they probably were as well.
“I don’t know what Evans or Woodgate are like as coaches, don’t know what Carrick is like as a coach. My point is he has a lot of experience. Are you against the appointment of Steve Holland?”
Keane felt that his former team-mate was overlooking his counter-argument about experience and stated: “On one hand you’re sitting here going, ‘I’m so happy they brought Steve Holland in’. but they brought another two staff in who you’re dismissing as ‘I’m not really bothered about them’.
“I wish we were sitting here with you saying he’s brought three staff in and they’re all brilliant, so we think Steve Holland is the man now?”.
Neville responded: “I think he’s got a lot of experience, a good coach.”
Keane highlighted that experience doesn’t necessarily equate to coaching success, citing several United coaches who had struggled post-Ferguson.
“Steve McLaren was experienced, Mike Phelan was experienced, these are all guys over the last few years,” he said.
The pair then engaged in a heated exchange, with neither backing down.
Neville argued: “When David Moyes came in I felt he should’ve kept a bit of experience around him.” Keane retorted: “Who did he bring with him?”.
Neville replied: “He brought my brother with him and John Murtough.” Keane questioned: “Exactly, did that warrant a place at Man United?”
Neville defended: “I can see why you’d bring in an ex-player who knows the club, Mourinho did that at Chelsea, that’s not an unusual thing.”
Keane quipped: “That doesn’t always work, this idea of bringing in someone from the club.”
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