Keane has gone in guns ablazing on all but one of Man Utd's new leadership group
Following a disappointing 15th-place Premier League campaign, the Red Devils head coach, who assumed control in November last year, has worked tirelessly this summer to enhance the squad he took over from Erik ten Hag. United have already secured the services of players like Matheus Cunha from Wolves and Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford to tackle their goalscoring woes from last season, whilst they continue to chase RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko.
The Portuguese coach has also appointed several team leaders at United in a bid to foster greater cohesion within the squad. This leadership collective includes club skipper Bruno Fernandes and seasoned players Harry Maguire and Tom Heaton, alongside Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui.
Discussing the arrangement, Amorim said: "We have a leadership group now. It's not just Bruno. It's not just Harry. It's six guys. They are responsible for the group. There are some things that in the last year I had to deal with and I said to them this season, you deal with that.
"Small issues are with you guys. You're responsible. All these small changes, but I think it's helping the group. We have Bruno, we have Harry, Licha [Martinez], Diogo, Tom and Nous."
He added (via the Mirror): "I feel we're more organised now. We're so much better. What we eat, the way we behave on tour, on the pitch, the rules. I know they're not kids and I don't treat the players like kids. But I think these small rules can help a group to be strong. We have rules, and the rules are not to treat the players as babies."
Yet, club icon Keane might not be on board with the fresh approach, given his past critiques of certain squad members. The 53-year-old has consistently been vocal about Fernandes' role as captain, doubting his leadership qualities and even suggesting he should be stripped of the captaincy. Ruben Amorim has appointed a new leadership group (Image: Getty Images for Premier League)
In an October 2023 Sky Sports discussion, Keane said: "Today having watched him again I would take the captaincy off him 100 per cent. I know it's a big decision, obviously they changed the captaincy with Maguire, but Fernandes is not captain material."
Regarding Dalot and Mazraoui, Keane also cast doubt on their defensive awareness after United's 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in September, telling Sky Sports: "When they lose it [the ball], they are all over the place. Listen, a player can make a mistake, but they are all all over the place.
"Look at your right-back, where is your right-back? Where is your left-back? You are not in control. Liverpool are good enough to punish [them]. Good players will punish you."
The former captain has has taken issue with Martinez's occasional lack of poise on the ball, despite his experience. He previously said about the centre-back: "Fans love him to bits, but [he needs] just a little bit of composure. Bruno Fernandes has seen his fair share of criticism from Roy Keane (Image: ISI Photos via Getty Images)
"This is an experienced player. Where's that bit of composure that you need? They paid a lot of money for him to sort his feet out. That's his job – to sort his feet out quickly and expect it to come to him."
On Maguire, meanwhile, Keane has been so critical in the past that he even offered an apology. On The Overlap last June, he admitted: "I was harsh on Harry Maguire for footballing reasons. I've crossed the line with Maguire. I bumped into Harry a few months ago and I apologised to him."
Heaton seems to be the only one spared from Keane's critique in the leadership team, possibly due to his very limited playtime at Old Trafford, having only appeared thrice since joining in 2021.
Keane's relationship with his former club isn't entirely critical; he acknowledges the players' strengths when warranted.
After United's 2023 Carabao Cup victory over Nottingham Forest, Keane recognised Martinez as a "character" and even though it was somewhat backhanded, he complimented Maguire following England's goalless match against the USA in 2022. Keane, speaking to ITV, he said: "He's done well tonight. Harry Maguire has been criticised by Roy Keane in the past (Image: Getty Images)
"The reason he gets stick is because he's not playing well. That's football. For some reason everyone has sympathy for Harry Maguire. But he did do well tonight, done the basics right and defended, simple as that, that's his job."
United are in need of a significant overhaul at Old Trafford to reverse their fortunes after recording their lowest-ever Premier League finish last season under Amorim. However, pre-season has shown signs of promise for United as they gear up for the new campaign.
The Red Devils played out a goalless draw with Leeds United last month, followed by victories over West Ham (2-1) and Bournemouth (4-1) in the Premier League Summer Series. Their most recent outing was a 2-2 draw with Everton on Sunday, ahead of their next match against Fiorentina at Old Trafford this Saturday. They then kick off their Premier League campaign against Arsenal on Sunday, August 17 at the Theatre of Dreams.
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