Nicky Butt shares his belief that Roy Keane is the man to fix the current culture at Manchester United, comparing the Irishman to Bryan Robson.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, Manchester United have had 10 different managers, including those in full-time positions and caretaker roles. The total can be broken down into seven permanent appointments and three short-term caretakers.
David Moyes was the man chosen to succeed Ferguson, but he was sacked in a matter of months before Ryan Giggs finished the season as caretaker manager. That was when United hired Louis van Gaal, who would go on to deliver the FA Cup in 2016 before being sacked.
The arrival of Jose Mourinho led to success in 2017, with United winning the Europa League and League Cup. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced him in a caretaker capacity before the Norwegian was offered the job on a full-time basis.
Who is Manchester United’s best manager since Sir Alex Ferguson?
Other permanent managers include Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, while Michael Carrick, Ralf Rangnick and Ruud van Nistelrooy have short stints as interim managers.
Amorim is now trying to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.
Roy Keane is the leader Man Utd need
With all the changes in management and players down the years, United have been unable to reach the previous heights set by Ferguson.
Nicky Butt knows that because he spent 12 years in the first team after progressing through the academy. He won the Premier League six times, as well as the FA Cup three times and the Champions League in 1999.
It was a different club when Butt was playing, and he had leaders in the dressing room like Roy Keane, who made an everlasting impression on him.
Butt has appeared on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast to give his verdict on all things United in conversation with Sam Allardyce. He states that Amorim needs extra help to deal with the stick he gets from the media.
“The manager at the minute, I really like,” Butt said.
“There’s a lot that’s been said about him, but I like him as a coach. But he came out saying something like, ‘If I was winning, everything would be fine’. That shows that he doesn’t know the culture of the football club, because the manager used to say to us, you’re not paid to just play football, you’re paid to play football and entertain.
“If Amorim had someone telling him to not to say things like that, it’d help, because it comes from someone who knows the football club like a Phil Jones, that’s the sad thing for me. That’s not me begging for a job, if they offered me a job now, I wouldn’t take it, but someone needs to be around who knows the football club. The only person like that is Darren Fletcher, but he can’t be everywhere.”
Should club legends protect the badge or tell the truth?🤔
Are former Manchester United players TOO HARSH on the club in the media, or are you happy for them to tell it like it is?
Does it matter? Are current United players TOO SOFT?
Butt adds that Keane would be the perfect person to take up a senior role at United, describing him as the modern-day Bryan Robson.
“They should definitely try and get him. Roy is the modern-day Bryan Robson, he’s the same kind of cult figure, same kind of leader. Since Sir Alex has gone, they got the right manager first and didn’t give him time, in David Moyes, then they went for the superstar managers like Van Gaal and Mourinho, then they went for Ole Gunnar, how do you not even have a conversation with someone like Roy?
“Roy might turn round and say there’s no chance, but it’s worth an ask. I think Amorim is a good manager, he’s young and has everything to tick all the boxes, but what he doesn’t have is people like Roy helping him.”
Roy Keane coaching experience
Although Keane is a pundit on TV and podcasts these days, he will always be asked about vacant managerial jobs after enjoying success at Sunderland between 2006 and 2008.
Keane also managed Ipswich Town for two years and held coaching roles at Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and the Republic of Ireland.
The 54-year-old has often worked as Martin O’Neill’s assistant, as seen with the jobs at Villa, Forest and the Republic of Ireland.
Keane’s greatest success as a coach was winning the Championship in 2007.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
