Roy Keane’s reaction to Rafael Benitez’s recent revelation about Xabi Alonso at Liverpool will have surprised no-one.
The former Reds manager appeared on the Stick to Football podcast this week and declared that, in 2008, the Spanish midfielder had made an ‘agreement’ with Arsenal and didn’t want to be cup-tied for our Champions League qualifier against Standard Liege.
The ex-Manchester United captain reacted to the anecdote with customary candour when he told fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher: “Jamie, you’re a Liverpool lad. With Gerrard, sometimes a player wants to leave a club, but when they refuse to play or they don’t want to be cup tied, I’m surprised players don’t turn on them. We wouldn’t have tolerated that at United.”
Turning to Benitez, Keane added: “I know managers can have a disagreement with the player and the player wants to leave, but it is frustrating for a manager to see a player who’s not doing what he’s supposed to be doing and everyone’s being mates with him instead of [admonishing them].”
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The ex-LFC manager’s admission about Alonso threatens to paint the midfielder in a different light, with the current Bayer Leverkusen boss having been adored by the Kop during and long after his time on Merseyside.
It can indeed be incredibly frustrating for managers when they have players effectively downing tools, especially when they’re a crucial part of the team, and such episodes can fracture the harmony within a squad.
It’d be a shame if someone of the 2010 World Cup winner’s class on the pitch were to see his legacy tainted in a manner like this, but it’d also be most understandable if Reds fans were to feel betrayed.
You can view Keane’s verdict on Alonso below (from 31:12), via The Overlap on YouTube:
The post (Video) Roy Keane had a typically no-nonsense take on Rafa Benitez’s admission about Xabi Alonso appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.
