Roy Keane has left the Sky Sports studio stunned after branding Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill “hanging around like stink” at Manchester United during the search for a new manager.
Roy Keane has left his Sky Sports colleagues speechless by suggesting Sir Alex Ferguson is hanging around Manchester United like a “stink” as the search for their latest manager continues.
Reports emerged this week that the 84-year-old Ferguson had held talks with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox after the club sacked manager Ruben Amorim.
Darren Fletcher then admitted he sought Ferguson’s approval before agreeing to temporarily join United’s hotseat ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League game against Burnley.
Ferguson retired as United manager in May 2013 after an illustrious 26-year reign at Old Trafford, which saw him win 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four Carabao Cups and two Champions League trophies.
Still, Ferguson remains a prominent presence at United, holding a highly paid ambassadorship until the end of 2024, while also serving as a non-executive director.
read more: Manchester United’s next manager: Xavi’s stance on replacing Ruben Amorim revealedread more: Roy Keane names top candidates to be Manchester United’s next manager – ‘They need a bit of that’
Former United midfielder Keane has delivered a scathing verdict on Ferguson’s continued influence at the club, following talks with Berrada and Wilcox and a conversation with Fletcher.
Keane appeared on Sky Sports on Thursday after Arsenal’s goalless stalemate with Liverpool and said: “Who’s making the decisions at United? Ferguson and David Gill are still hanging around like a stink.”
“Who’s making the decisions?[Sir Jim]Ratcliffe or Wilcox? Who goes into the interview process and gets a feel for them and says, ‘This person is the best fit for us.’
Keane’s brutal verdict against Mr Ferguson and former chief executive David Gill left the Sky Sports studio stunned, presenters David Jones and Gary Neville speechless and Daniel Sturridge unable to contain his laughter.
The former Liverpool and Chelsea striker was clearly amused as Keane gave his scathing assessment. Just moments ago, Keane recommended Eddie Howe as United’s new permanent manager.
“I choose Eddie Howe. I like him,” Keene said. “I like his work. He’s managed a lot of games. When his teams are on a roll, they play good football. He has his detractors, but I like his work at Newcastle. He’s managed seven or eight hundred games. He’s still young. I love his composure. Maybe Man United need a little bit of that.”
“As we saw with the last[commitment]we like people with emotion and he has that calmness. Looking at the job he’s done with Newcastle, the Champions League and winning the cup, I’m happy to see him go there.”
Fletcher, who captained United against Burnley on Wednesday, will remain in the dugout for Sunday’s FA Cup home game against Brighton. The Red Devils are then expected to bring in an interim manager (Ole Gunnar Solskjær is currently the likely candidate) until the end of the season.
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