January 19, 2020 barely registers for most people now.
Six years on, it feels like football history from another lifetime.
But inside Manchester United’s long, winding recent story, that afternoon still echoes — especially if your name is Roy Keane.
Liverpool beat United 2–0 at Anfield on Sky Sports’ Super Sunday, and Keane was in the studio.
The expectation? Fire, fury, and a few verbal grenades.
What viewers got instead was something different: Keane going into battle for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
When Keane Played the Patient Card
Jamie Carragher had questioned Solskjaer’s credentials, pointing at a CV featuring Molde and Cardiff City and wondering aloud whether that was ever going to be enough for Old Trafford. Keane bristled.
“The season isn’t finished yet,” he snapped, reminding everyone there were still Champions League places to play for.
Finish fourth, Keane argued, and suddenly Ole deserved the benefit of the doubt.
The clip exploded online, pulling in millions of views.
Keane’s message was clear: stop judging managers purely by what their CV looks like and give them time to prove themselves.
The Lampard Comparison That Said It All
To hammer home his point, Keane dragged Frank Lampard into the debate.
Lampard was only months into his Chelsea job and had already been written off by some for failing to get Derby promoted.
Keane hated that logic. His stance was simple — experience grows on the job.
Write managers off too early and you risk missing what they could become.
So far, so consistent.
Fast Forward — And the Logic Falls Apart
Except consistency disappears the moment Michael Carrick enters the picture.
After United’s dramatic 3–2 win over Arsenal on Sunday, Keane wasted no time dismissing the idea of Carrick becoming permanent manager.
Even a top-four finish wouldn’t sway him.
That same target once good enough for Solskjaer? Suddenly meaningless.
When presenter Dave Jones and the Sky panel didn’t bite, Keane doubled down.
“Anyone can win two games,” he said.
Even if Carrick won every match until the end of the season, Keane insisted, he still wouldn’t give him the job.
Absolutely not.
An Impossible Standard No One Else Faces
Carrick isn’t expected to win all 17 games in charge.
No one is. Only Liverpool and Manchester City have ever managed an 18-game Premier League winning streak. United’s best is 12.
Yet Keane’s position is that even history wouldn’t be enough. Carrick could walk into football folklore — and Roy would still shrug.
At that point, it stops sounding like analysis and starts sounding personal.
Old Grudges That Won’t Stay Buried
Football fans have long memories, and the internet has longer ones.
Keane’s relationship with Carrick has always been frosty.
He took Keane’s No.16 shirt. He replaced him in midfield.
He stayed on at United after retirement. Now he’s in the dugout.
And yes — Carrick’s wife once had a pop at Keane online.
None of this is new. The digs go back years.
The Pattern Goes Back a Decade
In 2014, after a Champions League defeat to Olympiacos, Carrick faced the cameras. Keane tore into him.
“Flat,” Keane said. Not just the performance — the interview too. No urgency, no spark.
Seven years later, after a draw at Chelsea during Carrick’s caretaker stint, Keane erupted again.
He disagreed with “everything” Carrick said post-match and questioned how someone who’d sat beside Solskjaer and Mourinho could suddenly sound proud.
Then came the line that landed hardest: “If you want loyalty, get yourself a dog.”
Opinions Everywhere — Bias on All Sides
Keane doesn’t want Carrick long-term. Gary Neville agrees.
Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney don’t — and they’re close friends of Carrick.
Bias exists across the board. That part is unavoidable.
But the problem isn’t Keane having an opinion.
It’s the way he clings to it, no matter the evidence piling up in front of him.
Inside United, Patience Is Wearing Thin
One United staff member didn’t hold back when speaking to Daily Mail Sport.
“He’s obviously still raging about how it all ended as a player,” the message read.
“Doubling down now just looks stupid.”
Fourth place was once enough for Keane to argue Solskjaer’s case — a manager who famously walked out of the dressing room in solidarity with Keane during a Ferguson hairdryer moment.
But now even perfection wouldn’t open the door for Carrick?
Twisting Logic Into Knots
Earlier this month, Keane named Eddie Howe as his preferred choice.
Howe has one trophy at Newcastle after spending roughly £685 million and finishing fourth at best.
Carrick could match that league position in five months — without spending a penny.
Make it make sense.
When the Act Stops Being Entertaining
Keane is tying himself in intellectual knots to avoid giving Carrick credit.
Two games into this latest chapter and the routine already feels tired.
Sky Sports will love it. The views are flying, the clips are everywhere, and Keane keeps the conversation boiling.
But while United can wait until summer to decide Carrick’s future, maybe Sky shouldn’t.
If the debate has already become this performative, perhaps it’s time to stop poking the bear — and find a fresher voice for the sofa.
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