Manchester United have found themselves at the center of another storm, and once again, Roy Keane is right in the middle of it. Before the Manchester derby, the former United captain delivered a brutal live rant on Sky Sports, questioning the club’s decision-making and openly criticizing the return of Jonny Evans to the coaching staff. What followed next looked very much like a calm but powerful response from Old Trafford.
Just days after Keane’s comments, Manchester United released a short video clip on social media that quickly caught attention. In the clip, Harry Maguire spoke warmly and with great respect about Jonny Evans, praising both his character and football intelligence. For many fans, it felt like a clear message sent without shouting back.
Jonny Evans recently returned to Manchester United as part of Michael Carrick’s coaching staff. His appointment came only months after he had left his previous role as loan manager at the club. Evans is now working alongside Steve Holland, Jonathan Woodgate, and Travis Binnion, with the coaching team set to stay in place until the end of the season.
Roy Keane, however, was not impressed by this move. Speaking live on Sky Sports before the Manchester derby, he made it clear that his frustration was not personal toward Evans but aimed at the club’s leadership and decision-making process.
“Jonny Evans rocks up, they’ve signed him twice,” Keane said. “It’s not an issue with Jonny Evans, it’s an issue with the club and the decision-making, who they’re bringing in.”
Keane went on to question Evans’ experience, pointing out that the former defender had only recently left the club and had not spent years developing as a coach. He stressed that Evans had not worked long-term in the academy system or built a clear coaching path before being placed with the first team.
“Jonny Evans left Man United four or five weeks ago,” Keane explained. “He left as a summer player and started as a loans manager. He wasn’t there ten years doing it. A few months.”
The Sky Sports pundit then delivered his sharpest criticism, saying, “My issue with Jonny is he’s got no coaching. It’s not as if he worked in the academy for a few years.”
Keane painted a picture of a club making sudden decisions without long-term planning. He suggested that Evans was simply offered an opportunity that anyone would accept, even if it seemed unusual.
“He gets a phone call saying: ‘Do you want to come back?’” Keane added. “‘As a kit manager or working with the Under-12s?’ No, no, you’re working with the first team.”
Despite Keane’s doubts, Manchester United appeared to respond in their own way. Instead of issuing a statement, the club shared a video on X featuring Harry Maguire, another player often criticized by Keane.
Maguire, who previously played alongside Evans at Leicester City before reuniting with him at United, could not have been clearer in his praise.
“He’s a great guy, he’s really calm, a real good player,” Maguire said. “When I speak about underrated players, I’d say Jonny for me was probably the most underrated player I have ever played with.”
The United captain went even further, highlighting Evans’ defensive intelligence and positioning, qualities that are vital in modern football.
“If I was a young boy and I was teaching someone to watch defending and watch body positioning and watch movement, I’d say watch Jonny Evans,” Maguire explained. “He was that good at his body positioning and the way that he’s so active in every part of the game.”
For many supporters, Maguire’s words felt like a quiet but firm defense of Evans and the club’s decision. It showed respect from a current player who knows Evans both on and off the pitch.
Manchester United will now hope that Evans can pass on this knowledge to the current group of defenders on the training ground. With the season entering a critical phase, experience and calm leadership could prove very important.
All of this drama came just before a big moment for the club on the pitch. Despite recent struggles and the sacking of Ruben Amorim, things could not have gone much better in the Manchester derby.
Under caretaker manager Darren Fletcher, United produced a strong performance and beat Pep Guardiola’s title-chasing Manchester City 2-0. It was a result that lifted spirits and shifted attention back to football.
For Michael Carrick, it was the perfect start to his time in charge. The win gave United confidence and momentum, and it also softened the noise around Keane’s comments.
The challenge now is consistency. United travel next to face league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday at 4:30pm. It will be another major test for Carrick, his coaching staff, and players like Jonny Evans working behind the scenes.
Whether Roy Keane is convinced or not, Manchester United have made their stance clear. Sometimes, the strongest response is not a shout, but a calm voice, a respected player, and a big win on the pitch.
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