Midweek, one team’s style of play infuriated Manchester United icon Roy Keane.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
In amusing manner, League Two team MK Dons responded to Roy Keane’s criticism of their tactics during the week. Keane is a legend at Manchester United.
Keane, who was 1-0 down against Salford City at the time, went on a vehement rant earlier this week on the Stick to Football podcast, criticising MK Dons for their lethargic backline build-up play. “[You see] 19 passes,” he let out.
“K. Dons. Who believe you to be? Move it forward. It is as though they are unaware of the score.”
The former manager of Ipswich Town and Sunderland, who is now a commentator, is frequently linked to traditional values and has never wavered in his tenacity. Under head coach Mike Williamson, MK Dons were determined to stick to their game plan in spite of the criticism, and it paid off as they recently defeated Walsall 1-0 in League Two.
In the eighteenth minute, Callum Hendry scored the move’s lone goal with a close-range cross. The MK Dons social media manager saw an opportunity to respond to Keane and emphasised how custodian Tom McGill started the winning goal from the back.
The League Two team tweeted a video on Saturday night with the message, “Playing out from the back.”
In addition to showing McGill dodging the Walsall press, which allowed his team to progress and eventually score, the footage also included Keane’s scathing remarks, which only served to exacerbate the situation. The video has received 324,000 views as of right now, although many comments were critical of it.
Playing out from the back 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/as5lwaq8Oi
— Milton Keynes Dons (@MKDonsFC) September 7, 2024
One reaction read: “I love it, but everything Roy Keane said in that interview was true and none of what he said happened in this video.” One said, quite simply, “Couldn’t do it at Salford though.”
In his post-match remarks, MK Dons manager Williamson praised custodian McGill, citing the Brighton loanee’s pivotal interventions. “Tom’s made some big saves for us this season, and he gives everyone confidence,” Williamson said of the goalie.
“We needed him today, as you can tell by his distribution and other aspects of his game. To keep the ball out of the net, we exhibited a great deal of tenacity and commitment.
“Everyone yearned for the spotless record. We needed to prevail in the struggle and get a response.
“We persevered through the last eight minutes and the last five minutes, which demonstrates strong character. We needed a little more poise when we were up 1-0 against a club with a lot of physically strong players who could hurt us. Finding out the outcome was a relief.”
