Keys vs Keane – the feud we never knew we needed
Richard Keys has criticised Roy Keane, saying that the former Manchester United captain has “become what he despised” in his role as a pundit on Sky Sports.
In a blog on his official website, Keys took issue with Keane’s description of Manchester City defender Kyle Walker as an “idiot” at half-time of the recent Premier League match between City and rivals Liverpool.
Speaking at the time, Keane had criticised the right-back for giving away a penalty. Asked how Mane had won the penalty, he replied: “Because he’s up against an idiot,” before later adding “he’s a car crash, keeps making these types of mistakes and is rightly punished for it.”
Keane’s words, which also drew an official complaint from Manchester City this week, clearly annoyed Keys, who said that the Irishman’s remarks were “cheap”, “even by your standards”.
“We were always very much aware that if we were going to criticise then it had to be done constructively,” said Keys.
“Andy Gray did that better than anyone else – and he’s still doing it. Teams and their managers back then were so sensitive.
“I can only imagine what would’ve happened If we’d ever called Gary Neville a ‘car crash’ and an ‘idiot’. And there were plenty of opportunities!
“You can see where this is going can’t you? What a disgrace Roy. Cheap. Even by your standards. How would you have described your assault on Alf-Inge Haaland – an incident that would’ve seen you arrested anywhere other than on the pitch?”
In a shocking turn of events, Keys slightly digresses to issue a warning to pundits before praising the work he and his colleagues are doing.
“Today’s ‘pundits’ need to be careful. In the U.K. we handed over a product that made multi millionaires of all of them. We did that on the back of supporting them as players. Of supporting the game I love,” he said.
“After all these years I still enjoy watching it. I’m proud of the way that we cover the product on BeINSPORTS. We must be doing something right. We’re still going and the channel is in everybody’s ‘most watched’ across 23 countries in our part of the world. That’s some going.”
Slightly off-topic there, Richard, but he eventually returns to his original point, saying: “Mistakes happen. That’s often why goals are scored. But they’re also scored because sometimes it’s impossible to stop them. Enjoy our game. Stop trying to destroy it. Respect it.”
