SKY SPORTS chiefs have asked Roy Keane’s pundit pals to help them investigate the former Ireland midfielder’s scrape with a fan.
Keane was on post-match pitchside duty after Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich when he was verbally accosted by a home supporter.
The former Portman Road boss, who had two seasons in charge of the Suffolk side, was angered by the comments and caught on camera telling his verbal assailant “I’ll wait for you in the car park”.
Ipswich security staff then intervened to take the supporter away.
Yesterday, Ipswich fan Neil Finbow claimed on social media that he had been the subject of Keane’s ire.
In his Facebook account, Finbow wrote: “New claim to fame – just been offered out into the carpark by Roy Keane after a few choice words.
“Even Jamie Redknapp had to come over to get him away – just ya average Sunday evening out.”
Responding to a comment, he then allegedly wrote: “I was reminding him that he set us back five years and ruined our football club. I also mentioned how he wasn’t fit to step foot anywhere near our ground [Portman Road].
“Oh, and I mentioned about him walking out on a World Cup and breaking Haaland’s leg and putting it in his autobiography.
“I hate the bloke, and that’s been boiling up since he got sacked all those years ago.”
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Finbow went on to write in a further comment: “The truth hurts, mate. I feel sick when I look at him.”
He is later said to have added: “Few home truths thrown at him, he decided to bite. Very unprofessional. I’m sure he had worse when he was playing.”
It was the second incident involving Keane and a supporter in 15 months.
In June, Arsenal supporter Scott Law was given a three-year banning order by magistrates and ordered to pay £764 after butting Keane after a dispute in a lounge at the Emirates Stadium after the Gunners’ win over United in September.
Sky Sports executives have now asked Keane’s pundit duty colleagues – Redknapp, Izzy Christensen and presenter Kelly Cates – as well as production staff on duty to give their accounts of the incident so that a full picture can be given.
At this stage, though, Sun Sport understands that no further action is expected while there have been no internal discussions about Keane being given extra security support in future.
IN theory at least, the only way is up for Manchester United, writes Charlie Wyett.
We are nearly a third of the way through this Premier League season and it is still staggering to see United lurking in 12th place.
They have managed just four wins with a goal difference of 0. Only Everton, Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored less.
It is certainly not a false position and a point at Ipswich illustrated the massive job that Ruben Amorim faces.
United’s fans sang the name of their new manager throughout the game.
They also gave the players rapturous applause on the final whistle and although this was an improvement on some of the performances this season, the bar has been set pretty low.
The club’s optimistic supporters will see that their team is only six points off the top four. Ultimately, though, it is difficult to see United even reaching last season’s final position of eighth as they look worse.
United’s patched-up defence will improve – and a three-man formation at the back will help them – but you have to wonder where the goals are going to come from. Marcus Rashford struck after 81 seconds and then went missing for the rest of his 68 minutes on the pitch.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were also introduced in that double change midway inside the second half but added absolutely nothing. What a terrible couple of signings they have proved to be and United’s fans would swap both of them for Ipswich’s Liam Delap.
Amorim did not celebrate the Rashford goal and paced around his technical area throughout looking uneasy.
Each time there was a break in play, he called over players for instructions.
Alejandro Garnacho headed over to the touchline on a couple of occasions while there were also words for Diogo Dalot, Casemiro and Jonny Evans.
Amorim, a manager with infectious enthusiasm, will be hopeful he can get his message across to all of the players in the next few weeks.
But the problem for the Portuguese coach is that this was the first of 10 games in the space of 33 days.
What he really needs are spells on the training ground without a midweek game but he does not have that luxury.
