Manchester United legend Roy Keane has delivered a jab at his former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, claiming he’s “hanging on like a bad smell”.
It comes as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to meet with club bosses regarding the caretaker role, while Michael Carrick has reportedly already met with United leadership about the position.
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Former club captain Keane, who infamously fell out with Ferguson in 2005, put both Sir Alex and ex-chief executive David Gill in the crosshairs.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the Irish icon questioned United’s interview process given the repeated dismissals since Ferguson’s decorated reign, which ended in 2013.
“What happens in these job interviews? I’m intrigued. Why do they keep giving certain people a job?” he asked.
“What happens in the interview that they sit there and go … and 12, 14 months later, ‘He’s not the guy for us’. Do you not suss that out when you speak to them?
“You see who’s making the decisions at Manchester United. You still have Ferguson and David Gill hanging on like a bad smell.
“Who’s making the decisions? Ratcliffe, Wilcox?”
Keane’s comments come while former United midfielder and current under-18s coach Darren Fletcher is currently in the caretaker role following Ruben Amorim’s sacking after 14 shallow months in charge.
Fletcher, a former United teammate of Keane’s, had earlier said he’d contacted Ferguson to consult with him before agreeing to serve as United’s caretaker.
“I don’t like to make any major decisions without speaking to Sir Alex,” Fletcher said.
“I’ve got a really good relationship with Sir Alex, so I wanted to speak to him first and ultimately to get his blessing, to be perfectly honest with you. I think he deserves that respect.
“I wanted to run it by him, and he echoed my thoughts. When you’re an employee of the club, it’s your job to do your best for Manchester United. It is something I try and live and believe every day, so it was comforting for me for him to say that.”
And while the club is seeking a caretaker from outside, an appointment is considered unlikely to be made before Monday’s FA Cup clash with Brighton.
But when it is eventually made, former United midfielder Carrick is thought to be right next to Solskjaer in the running to be hired.
Sky Sports UK reports Carrick, who retired from playing in 2018 and recently wrapped up a three-year Championship stint with Middlesbrough, “has already met the club’s leadership this week to discuss the role”.
Meanwhile, Solskjaer, who was United’s permanent head coach from 2019-21, is set for a face-to-face rendezvous of his own with United higher-ups on Sunday AEDT.
-Fletcher defends United academy after Amorim criticism-
United interim boss Fletcher said Saturday that the club’s academy is one of the best in the world after recent critical comments from sacked manager Ruben Amorim.
Fletcher was put in temporary charge of the club following the dismissal of Amorim on Tuesday, leading them to a 2-2 draw at Burnley two days later.
The Portuguese was criticised for not giving enough opportunities to the club’s academy graduates, most notably Kobbie Mainoo.
And last month he questioned the performances of Harry Amass and Chido Obi, describing a “feeling of entitlement” at United.
But Fletcher, appointed under-18s head coach in July and himself a product of the club’s academy, robustly defended the youth set-up ahead of United’s FA Cup third-round clash against Brighton on Monday.
United have named a homegrown player in every matchday squad since 1937. “Historically, this club’s built around the academy, we’ve got an amazing academy,” he told reporters. “Our record speaks for itself.
“I’m not going to stand here and say anything other than that. We’ve got an amazing record. I think it’s hard to beat in terms of the history of clubs around the world.
“I think we’ve got some amazing players, some amazing talents. I think what I see is a lot of hard-working, humble young players who aren’t perfect because they’re young and they’re learning and they’ve got a lot to do.” Mainoo played for England in the 2024 European Championship final, but is yet to start a Premier League game this season.
Fletcher said the 20-year-old’s mood was difficult to judge because he “doesn’t give you much”.
“He’s in a good place, he’s trained well and as I said, he’s hard to read Kobe, so that remains to be seen,” said the interim boss.
United, seventh in the Premier League, are searching for a caretaker manager until the end of the season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick both linked with the role.
Fletcher brushed aside questions over his own future.
“(Director of football) Jason (Wilcox) and (chief executive) Omar (Berrada) have given me full responsibility to take control of these two games, make my own decisions, lead the team, guide the team, prepare the team, and that’s what I’ve been doing,” he said.
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