Roy Keane is unimpressed with the decision to welcome Jonny Evans to Manchester United’s coaching staff and let Gary Neville go after he backed the hiring of Steve Holland
Manager Roy Keane was furious at the decision to invite Michael Carrick’s assistant to Manchester United, sparking a spat with Gary Neville.
The Irishman was not shy about criticizing his former club this week, which confirmed Carrick would return as head coach until the end of the season. They rarely play beyond Champions League qualification, but that hasn’t stopped new players from bringing in their own players.
One of the club’s former players, Jonny Evans, will also be part of the staff. So is former Leeds star Jonathan Woodgate, who was Carrick’s assistant during his time as Middlesbrough manager.
Former England No. 2 Steve Holland, who worked alongside Gareth Southgate, was a surprise appointment, but while Neville insisted he was a “serious operator”, Keane called in other players Carrick had bought.
The former captain told Stick to Football: “He’s Jonny Evans, who was on the beach two weeks ago. Jonny Evans left Man United four or five weeks ago as a loan manager and then Darren Fletcher gave him the job, which was strange enough to give him the job.”
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Roy Keane and Gary Neville have a candid discussion about the makeup of Manchester United’s backroom staff (Image: )
“He has two games to play, Fletch leaves and Carrick gives him the job, which is great. We should all go to Barbados for a week. You’re bringing together a coaching staff and you praise one of them as being experienced, but you’ve decided to let go of the other two, Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans. What has Jonny Evans done to become Man United’s first-team coach?
Keane then made the decision to bring in Holland as assistant manager, with Neville endorsing the former England international. He said: “What I’m saying is that if Steve Holland is on the training pitch, at least they know they’re going to get top-class training. I’m not saying it wasn’t there before, because they probably were too. I don’t know what Evans or Woodgate are like as coaches, I don’t know what Carrick is like as a coach.”
Jonny Evans’ eligibility has been questioned after being appointed (Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)
Keane questioned whether ex-professional players had “justified” their roles on the coaching staff, but Neville defended the decision to bring in former players, insisting that many clubs have done so in the past, despite criticism leveled at Manchester players.
“I understand why you would bring in former players who know the club well. Mourinho did that at Chelsea. That’s not unusual,” he said.
Keane then launched another round of criticism at Sir Alex Ferguson, highlighting how fellow former player Darren Fletcher had not benefited from his experience at the club. “Before we played Burnley and Brighton at home… Fletch knows the club, he works with the academy, he knows the girls in the canteen. I rang Sir Alex Ferguson and asked him what color socks he was going to wear in the morning. How did the two games go?”
As the two continued to clash over backroom staff, Keane was distracted from Holland and continued to demand answers as to how and why Evans was included.
“You don’t know anything about coaching Jonny Evans because he’s never been coached! That’s my point! But he went to Manchester United. But it’s okay because we have Stevie Holland, our new leader! I’m so excited about the experience of these guys, you worked with him in England…”
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