Roy Keane has once again voiced his candid opinions, this time taking aim at a prominent England player following the team’s recent performance. The former Manchester United captain, known for his no-nonsense style, didn’t hold back in expressing his disbelief at the player’s defensive capabilities, describing them as shockingly poor.
Keane’s sharp critique came after England’s first-ever defeat to Greece in the Nations League at Wembley. Despite the disappointment, England quickly rebounded with a 3-1 victory over Finland in Helsinki. Keane, serving as a pundit for ITV, shared his views on the Greece loss, highlighting a lack of creativity and pointing out significant defensive flaws in the team’s performance.
A particular target of Keane’s criticism was Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold. Alexander-Arnold, who had been part of an experimental midfield setup by Gareth Southgate in previous games, was recently returned to his more familiar defensive role. However, Keane wasn’t impressed with his defensive skills, especially after Alexander-Arnold was deployed in an unfamiliar left-back position against Finland. When questioned about his performance in that new position, Keane didn’t mince words. Referring to Alexander-Arnold’s defending during the match against Greece, Keane remarked, “If you saw him the other night defending, it looked like he’d never played right-back before.”
Despite this harsh assessment, Alexander-Arnold did offer a moment of brilliance in the Finland match, scoring a stunning free-kick that gave England a 2-0 lead. The goal earned him some praise from Keane, who acknowledged the player’s impressive technique and passing range. However, Keane couldn’t help but circle back to his main point, criticizing Alexander-Arnold’s defensive abilities once more. In his post-match analysis, Keane noted, “You give time to Trent, because his decision making and quality of passing is fantastic, but I can’t believe how bad he is defensively, and against better teams he’ll be punished.”
Roy Keane Slams England Star: ‘I Can’t Believe How Bad He Is Defensively
Despite the criticism, Alexander-Arnold’s performance was enough to earn him the Man of the Match award. Fellow pundit and former England striker Ian Wright, while more measured in his assessment, also expressed reservations about Alexander-Arnold’s defensive contribution. Wright commented, “I don’t think he did much defensively to make you say ‘OK, that’s the position he’s going to play’. But from a creative standpoint, Lee Carsley wants as many creative players in his team as possible. I can’t see it being something that happens too frequently.”
Looking ahead, England will return to the Nations League next month with two final matches, one against Greece and another against the Republic of Ireland. It remains to be seen whether Alexander-Arnold will feature prominently, and if so, in which position. The ongoing debate over his defensive prowess and creative potential is likely to continue, especially as England prepares for tougher challenges on the international stage.
Roy Keane, the outspoken former Manchester United captain, has once again found himself in the headlines for his frank and direct assessment of an England player. Known for his fiery opinions and unwillingness to sugarcoat his thoughts, Keane delivered a particularly harsh critique after England’s latest set of performances in the Nations League. His comments specifically targeted Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, a player who has often been praised for his attacking prowess but has also faced scrutiny for his defensive abilities.
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