Roy Keane was a hard-hitting midfielder during his playing days, and the Manchester United legend has earned a reputation as a hard-hitting pundit.
The former Republic of Ireland international midfielder does not mince his words, as viewers of Sky Sports and ITV will know.
Keane was in top form on Sunday evening, as he watched his former club United go down 1-0 to Arsenal at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
United’s performance was far from impressive, and while the former Nottingham Forest midfielder justifiably hammered the Red Devils, what he said about Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was absolutely ridiculous.
During his post-match interview on Sky Sports, the Gabon international, who scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot in the second half, referred to his manager Mikel Arteta by his first name.
🗣"Mikel is bringing something very very nice and everyone wants to follow this way"
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is loving life under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal@Aubameyang7 pic.twitter.com/tWactD3l71
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 1, 2020
Keane took offence to that and claimed that the 31-year-old striker had disrespected Arteta.
The 49-year-old said on Sky Sports Premier League (7:24pm, November 1, 2020): “They didn’t show him respect when they called him by his name Mikel. He is the manager, the boss, the gaffer. That’s respect. Not Mikel.”
Keane is old school, but his comments on Aubameyang are simply ridiculous. All the former Borussia Dortmund striker did was call Arteta by his first name. It’s not as if he was critical of the Spaniard or was hammering him in public.
Is that a sign of disrespect? For Keane, yes. For the rest of the football world, no.