By now, Sky Sports viewers know that if Roy Keane is on the punditry team, the coverage will be box office.
Saturday's clash between Manchester United and Chelsea was no different, with the Irishman launching into a ferocious argument with Gary Neville over Cristiano Ronaldo. It is far from the first time that the duo have clashed, with Keane's rants becoming legendary.
There are plenty of examples of Keane's anger boiling over, particularly when he's analysing a United game. Here, Mirror Football looks at six times Keane has lost his cool while working as a pundit.
January 2020 - Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United
You do not need to go back far to find an example of Keane engaging in one of his now-legendary arguments. In January 2020, he was caught up in a furious argument with Jamie Carragher over United's progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after a defeat at Liverpool.
The debate started when Keane asked: "What about the previous [Man Utd] managers over the past few years? Are you saying they're all bad managers?"
Carragher : "At Manchester United? Do you think they did good jobs? You slaughtered Mourinho when he was in the job!"
Keane : "But he needed more time."
Carragher : "He needed more time? You think Mourinho needed more time on the back of their performance here last year?"
Keane : "Absolutely. That's the name of the game. We question whether Ole's up to it and say, 'Look at his CV.' Yet for some reason managers go to other clubs and are given the benefit of the doubt."
Carragher : "It's probably their CV that gives them the benefit of the doubt."
Keane : "Look at Frank Lampard at Chelsea, I saw them last night."
Carragher : "He's been in the job six months!"
Keane : "And I'd say the same. Give him time. Give Ole a bit of time. How long has Ole been in the job? Give the man a chance. I watched Chelsea last night, they're a decent team. But they couldn't get the job done. Lampard has lost eight games, but for some reason, 'Frank's doing alright.' Maybe because he's English, I don't know."
HAVE YOUR SAY! What is your favourite Roy Keane rant? Comment below.
June 2020 - Tottenham 1-1 Man Utd
Just a few months later, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and David de Gea found themselves the subject of a classic Keane rant. United were 1-0 down at half-time to Tottenham, with Keane furious at the way they had conceded.
"I'm shocked at that goal. I've watched a lot of football over the years and I'm shocked at that goal. I'm watching that and I'm fuming. I can't believe Shaw. Heading the ball up in the air and then running forward. I am staggered at Maguire. Staggered how an international player can get done like this.
"And I am sick to death of this goalkeeper. I would be flying in at half time. I would be swinging punches at that guy. This is a standard save for a standard, international goalkeeper. I am flabbergasted. There's got to be some stuff going on at half-time.
"If I was Ole, I'd make some changes. Get some lads off the pitch. There are lads out there going through the motions a bit. Not that United have been bad. But you've got to flex your muscles. Maguire and De Gea, I wouldn't even let them on the bus after the game. Get a taxi back to Manchester."
July 2020 - Aston Villa 0-3 Manchester United
On some occasions, Keane directs his anger towards United's opponents rather than his former team. That is exactly what happened in July 2020 at half-time of a dominant United win at Aston Villa, with Keane furious with the hosts' defending.
"When your experienced players cannot do the basics... I’m scratching my head. I can’t understand why he can’t go two yards and that’s why Pepe Reina is like a madman shouting at him. You’ve got Dean Smith, John Terry in the dressing room.
"Why he doesn’t go the two yards I can’t understand it, no sympathy for Aston Villa tonight. Before the game I thought a bit of energy, big club, I had a short time there, brilliant people there. But when your defenders defend like that, you deserve everything you get."
January 2021 - Arsenal 0-0 Manchester United
In the first full season of behind-closed-doors matches, Manchester United launched a shock bid to win the title. But by January that bid had started to fall apart, with Keane slamming United's "frightened" players after a goalless draw at Arsenal.
"There's different pressure. Where they were the last few months, they were getting the plaudits but they were just sneaking up the table. They got into the good habit of winning football matches, even if they weren't playing great; particularly away from home on the counter attack.
"But all of a sudden in the last three or four weeks when they've got to the top - and people are saying 'can you win the league', 'can you compete with Man City?' And it looks like the players have got a bit, almost frightened of the challenge.
"It's as if they've gone 'I don't think we're ready for that yet'. It seems to be (they're happy with second). I'm scratching my head with United. The worry for me, watching them today, was they almost lacked the belief that they could go and win the game."
November 2021 - Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United
Since Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford, Keane has become one of his staunchest defenders. That was evident last November when the attacker was dropped from the starting line-up for a trip to Chelsea, much to Keane's frustration, which led to another argument with Carragher.
"It’s not as if he hasn't scored and he’s not interested, he’s on it but then he’s getting the blame for the high press. He’s not pressed for five or six years. He’s not going to fix United’s problem but you don’t bring Ronaldo back to sit on the bench. You think Rashford pressed today? He did nothing today. Stats have taken over the world - his stats coming back to united are good."
Carragher: "Goal scoring, goals yeah."
Keane: "What’s the game about? Scoring goals! You talk about Salah the games about goals Jamie! Ian Rush what did he do? He scored goals."
Carragher: "Did he press?"
Keane: "Yeah, but he didn’t score as many as Ronaldo!"
Carragher: "He’s a phenomenon in terms of goals. But I mentioned this in midweek. PSG signed Messi and United signed Ronaldo. Are United closer to the title? No. Are PSG closer to the Champions League with Messi? No."
Keane: "Ronaldo was never going to get United back to winning titles."
Carragher: "So what was the point in signing him then?!. He’s 37!"
Keane: "He’s not come back to win the league."
Carragher: "So what’s he come back for?! What’s he here for then?"
Keane: "When you won the FA Cup were you not buzzing with that? United are a cup team at the moment."
Carragher: "You said Ronaldo hasn’t come to win the League, what is he here for?!"
Keane: "For cups."
March 2022 - Manchester City 4-1 Manchester United
A dire Manchester derby defeat left Keane boiling with fury back in March, with United having put in a pitiful performance at the Etihad Stadium. That provoked a furious reaction from their former captain.
“We saw all of United’s shortcomings today, the way United lost the game today they stopped running. No running back, it’s really unacceptable when you play for Man United and I think they threw in the towel.
"They’re up against a top side but you have to tackle, you’ve got to run back, it was just a reflection of where the club is, they’re so far behind the other teams. We hear about problems with the new manager coming in but your own pride has to kick in at some stage.
“I was getting really frustrated, I can forgive mistakes but you have to put your body on the line. Wan-Bissaka, Fred, Maguire, Rashford came on, I could go on, gave up four goals and City didn’t have to be at their best at all. Shame on them.
“Once the third goal went in, the game was over, they threw the towel in, the white flag came up. It’s a derby game, you’ve got to be switched on but De Bruyne’s got a tap in from seven yards inside five minutes.
“United do show moments but not enough of it, Sancho’s goal was a great finish but after that United didn’t do enough. t’s no good having moments in games, the match is 90 minutes long you’ve got to do it all game long.
“We’ll hear a load of rubbish over the coming days, we’ve heard it before, there’ll be statements, ‘sorry about that, we’ll try it again next week’, it’s what you do on the pitch that interests me, not all the other garbage.”
