Keane and Neville clash over Carrick tactics at Man Utd – ‘It’s a bit over the top’

Roy Keane and Gary Neville have clashed over praise for the tactics of Manchester United boss Michael Carrick, which Keane feels is “over the top.”

Carrick has been in interim charge of the Red Devils for 13 matches and has had a great spell. He’s led his side to victory in nine of those matches, with United unable to finish any lower than fifth this season.

But Keane and Neville have clashed over praise for Carrick’s tactical approach in the 2-1 victory over Brentford on Monday night, with the former feeling the change almost lost United the game.

Keane said on Sky Sports: “He’s getting praise for winning football matches, but he’s getting praise for tactically changing, on Monday night, to a system where United end up losing the second half 1-0. But he’s getting credit for that.

“You’re 2-0 up at half-time, you’re playing Brentford, who hadn’t won in five or six, and people are saying he tactically changed it at half-time. They lost the second half 1-0, but he’s getting thumbs up for that.

“That’s the bit where I have to draw the line, where it’s a bit over the top.”

Neville responded: “If they’d kept the same system the way they were in the first half I think they would have lost the game. They were hanging on for dear life.”

Keane then hit back: “How? They won the first half, they were 2-0 up.”

Neville explained: “They have been [hanging on] for the last few weeks. The performances in the last few weeks haven’t been great. That’s the one thing that’s important for Michael, he’s obviously got them over the line in these games.

“I’ve gone on the record on Michael in terms of if he should get the job or not. What I would say is, I am unsure, but my gut feeling was before he got the job that Manchester United should go and appoint a world-class manager and the very best that they can, that’s got a body of work with Champions League experience and league titles.

READ: Who will be Manchester United manager next season? Carrick still favourite…for now

“Michael obviously doesn’t have that. He’s been at Middlesbrough learning his trade for a couple of years, so I don’t think we’re on a different page on that.

“What I would say is, who is out there, and that’s the question everybody asks right now, that’s available and that can come in and take over from Michael.

“What he has done is settle the club down on the pitch and everybody’s been able to see that, but he has settled the club down off the pitch. There was a lot of turbulence in the club in the last 12 months.

“There have been struggles in games where they’ve been limping over the line and obviously that makes a difference that they have got over the line in those games.”

READ MORE: Carrick’s Man Utd future on the line vs Liverpool as Ratcliffe needs excuse