Keane gagged by United after TV attack on players
Posted in News on Tuesday November 1st, 2005 10:54am
Daniel Taylor in the Guardian:
The exact content of Keane’s vitriol is not known but MUTV officials were described as being genuinely taken aback by the severity of his comments. The Keane rant has become an annual part of United’s season in recent years but never before has he named names.
Rio Ferdinand, Darren Fletcher, Alan Smith, John O’Shea and Kieran Richardson are believed to be among those named and shamed in the aftermath of Saturday’s 4-1 defeat away to Middlesbrough, their heaviest defeat in 19 months. Liam Miller, who did not play at the Riverside, is also said to have been identified.
Keane took aim during a 30-minute interview that was scheduled to go out at 5.30pm yesterday in a show entitled Roy Keane Plays the Pundit, in which he was shown video clips of Middlesbrough’s goals and asked to give his opinions. According to those who were present, it became obvious within 10 minutes that the interview would be “explosive even by his standards” and beyond editing.
On numerous occasions he was invited to tone down his words but the man who once claimed there was nobody in the Old Trafford dressing room whom he considered a friend continued to condemn Ferguson’s players. He accused individuals of playing with their reputations, of not trying and of not understanding the principles of the club. “His attitude stinks” is a phrase that was apparently used. Ferguson’s use of Smith in midfield was also thought to have been questioned.
It remains to be seen how Keane, currently recuperating from a broken foot, will react to the interview being pulled when he clearly wanted his feelings to be known. Gill is thought to have tried to contact the United captain to explain his reasoning.
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