Roy Keane's management return stance as pleas for Man Utd comeback grow deafening
Roy Keane has been tipped for a sensational return to Manchester United as Ruben Amorim's successor by several of his former team-mates
Manchester United legend Roy Keane has received a growing endorsement to take over as Ruben Amorim's successor on an interim basis. However, the Irishman may have ruined any chance of a return to the club where he became an icon.
United, currently led by caretaker Darren Fletcher, are hard at work seeking out a new manager following Amorim's sacking in the wake of his fiery rant at certain club figures. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is believed to be high in the pecking order of potential appointments, as is fellow United alumnus Michael Carrick.
Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt recently backed their former captain to take over the reins for the rest of the season. Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast, Butt endorsed the experiment and insisted Keane has "changed unbelievably in the last 10 years."
Gary Pallister acknowledged Keane's long hiatus from management but nonetheless backed his old colleague to "shake it up" back at United. At the very least, he said the Irishman would "certainly command respect," which can often be half the battle in getting performances out of players.
And Bryan Robson has also tipped Keane, 54, to make his way back into management following a long time away. Speaking in October, the United legend tipped his countryman to partner with former team-mate John O'Shea in leading the Republic of Ireland.
READ MORE: Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes received clear message from Man Utd caretaker bossREAD MORE: Man Utd bosses ready to ruthlessly SNUB Sir Alex Ferguson in search for next managerHowever, Keane - who hasn't managed a club since leaving Ipswich Town in 2011 - may have already ruined his stock at Old Trafford. That's after questioning Sir Alex Ferguson's overarching influence at the club, suggesting the Scot keeps "hanging on like a bad smell."
"You see who’s making the decisions at Manchester United. You still have Ferguson and [former Untied chief executive] David Gill hanging on like a bad smell," said Keane on Sky Sports. "Who’s making the decisions? [Co-owner Sir Jim] Ratcliffe, [director of football Jason] Wilcox?"
Then again, there's a chance Ratcliffe may in fact take to Keane's rebellious nature when it comes to Ferguson. That's after the British billionaire and minority owner cut down Ferguson's duties at Old Trafford and ended his £2.16million-a-year global ambassador role.
After more than a decade away from coaching, Keane has said he'd be open to a touchline return. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast in 2023, he said: "I’d like to go back in, yeah... I think it’s just the challenge of getting back in.
"I’ve been out of management for a number of years now, but I’m still agitated every Saturday about not having a team. And I’ve not managed for 10 to 11 years, so it never goes away."
While he's clearly up for entering the dugout once again, Keane, who left United under controversial circumstances in 2005, has routinely distanced himself from a United return. Not only that, but he's already had his say on whom he'd like to see replace Amorim, opting for Newcastle chief Eddie Howe.
"I like what Howe has done, he's managed a lot of games, his teams play good football," he said this month. "I know he has his critics, but I like what he's done at Newcastle, even at Bournemouth. He's managed 700, 800 games. I like his calmness - I think Man United sometimes need a bit of that.
"I like people with emotion. I'm quite an emotional person, but his calmness, what he's done at Newcastle. Getting them into the Champions League, winning a [Carabao] Cup. I'd be happy to see him go in there."
Those comments perhaps indicate the former hard man isn't out to promote his own candidacy for the position. However, Keane isn't short of supporters for the job, as many fans want to see things shaken up with the next boss.
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Source: Mirror
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