Keanegate

[ianrush]

From Wednesday's Mirror:

THERE IS TALK ABOUT PUTTING THIS RIGHT IN JANUARY AND BRINGING NEW PLAYERS IN.. WE SHOULD DO THE OPPOSITE AND GET RID OF THEM IN JANUARY

EXCLUSIVE THE KEANEGATE TAPES

Neil Mcleman

ROY KEANE has been sitting on the sidelines for six weeks watching Manchester United slip behind Wigan, Bolton and Charlton in the title race. And he has had enough.

We can reveal in the 'Plays the Pundit' slot on MUTV that has erupted in controversy, Keane not only laid into defender Rio Ferdinand's approach, but harshly criticised senior players and attacked the younger members of United's faltering team.

They trail Premiership leaders Chelsea by 13 points and are far from certain of progressing in the Champions League and Keane said: "There is talk about putting this right in January and bringing players in. We should be doing the opposite - we should be getting rid of people in January."

Keane has often acted as Sir Alex Ferguson's public mouthpiece, but it was the manager who made the decision not to broadcast the interview after he was alerted to its contents.

The player is understood to be standing by his criticisms which included harsh words for the multi-millionaire senior players who he believes are responsible for the general malaise at the two-time European champions.

He named keeper Edwin Van der Sar, Paul Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy, but reserved his most pointed attack for Ferdinand, who delayed signing a new deal in the summer until he had secured club record wages of £6.24 million a year.

"Just because you are paid £120,000-a-week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham, you think you are a superstar.

"The younger players have been let down by some of the more experienced ones - they are not leading. There is a shortage of characters.

"It seems to be in this club you have to play badly to be rewarded. Maybe that is what I should do when I come back - play badly."

In his analysis of Saturday's humiliating 4-1 defeat by Middlesbrough Keane admitted: "I wasn't surprised by the result I had been expecting one like this.

"The players have been asked questions and they are just not coming up with the answers.

"I am sick of having to say it and they are sick of listening to me.

"They have let down the club, the manager, and the fans.

"When they sign the contracts, they think they have made it. They owe it to the manager, the staff and the fans."

Keane also slammed the young generation of players he says have failed to win the trophies to justify their inflated wages. "These guys thought getting new contracts was the best day of their careers," he said.

"They think they have made it. They haven't."

And the United captain insisted a long injury list also including Gary Neville, Gabriel Heinze and Ryan Giggs could not be used as an excuse for a lack of effort on the pitch.

"The fact they are out should be enough incentive for those coming in to play better and give more," he said. "It is not enough to play well for 20 minutes, it is a 90-minute game.

"You get well rewarded but you have to put the hard work to earn those rewards."

But last month the former Ireland midfielder shocked the Old Trafford hierarchy by using MUTV to announce he will quit the club at the end of the season after failing to be offered a new deal.

And this time the 34-year-old, out with a broken foot, has gone even further in a rant resembling his famous outburst against Ireland manager Mick McCarthy at the last World Cup.

Just a fortnight ago Sir Alex was still claiming Keane could be persuaded to sign a one-year contract extension and play a 14th season at Old Trafford.

And Keane did avoid directly criticising the United manager and said "he will put it right."

But doing so with a dressing room still including Keane appears impossible.

WHAT ROY SAID IN THAT INTERVIEW

KEANE ON: EDWIN VAN DER SAR

Analysing the first goal United condeded against Middlesbrough, when Edwin Van der Sar let slip a 30-yard shot... He should have saved that. That was saveable

KEANE ON: JOHN O'SHEA

He's just strolling around when he should have been busting a gut to get back

KEANE ON: RIO FERDINAND

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink robbed Ferdinand for the second goal... I have seen that happen to Rio before. It is poor defending

KEANE ON: DARREN FLETCHER

I can't understand why people in Scotland rave about Darren Fletcher

KEANE ON: KIERAN RICHARDSON

On the penalty Richardson gave away.... He is a lazy defender who deserved to get punished.. he wasn't doing his job

KEANE ON: ALAN SMITH

What is he doing there? He is wandering around as if he is lost. He doesn't know what he is doing

Wo er recht hat, da hat er recht. Das Interview wird heute aber angeblich doch noch auf dem vereinseigenen Fernsehsender ausgestrahlt.

bearbeitet 2. November 2005 von ianrush

[Becks]

Keano's on fire!

Aber er hat ja recht, was Rio spielt ist inferior! Bei Richardson und Smith muss man aber dazu sagen, weder der eine noch der andere spielen auf "ihren" Positionen und Keano haben wir auch schon besser gesehen!

[themanwho]

Roy Keane