Roy Keane was in typically brutal form
Kieran King Sports Writer
11:48, 09 Jan 2026
Roy Keane suggested Alex Ferguson is hanging around Manchester United like 'a bad smell' in a jibe that left his Sky Sports colleagues stunned.
News broke this week that 84-year-old Ferguson had discussions with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim. Darren Fletcher also revealed he sought Ferguson's blessing before agreeing to temporarily take over managerial duties ahead of Wednesday's Premier League match against Burnley.
Ferguson, who led United to an impressive haul of 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four Carabao Cups and two Champions League trophies during his 26-year tenure, stepped down in May 2013. However, he has remained a fixture at the club, serving as a well-paid ambassador until the end of 2024 and sitting on the board as a non-executive director.
Keane didn't hold back in his assessment of Ferguson's ongoing role at United, particularly after his meetings with Berrada and Wilcox and his chat with Fletcher. Speaking on Sky Sports following Arsenal's goalless draw with Liverpool, Keane questioned: "Who is making the decisions at United, you have still got Ferguson and David Gill hanging around like a bad smell."
He further queried, "Who is making the decisions? [Sir Jim] Ratcliffe, Wilcox? Who is going into the interview process, getting a feeler for them and saying, 'this is the guy for us'.", reports the Mirror.
Keane's harsh assessment of Ferguson and former chief executive David Gill left the Sky Sports studio stunned, with presenter David Jones and Gary Neville speechless, whilst Daniel Sturridge struggled to hold back his laughter.
The former Chelsea and Liverpool forward was clearly entertained as Keane offered his damning evaluation. Shortly before, Keane had named Eddie Howe as his preferred candidate to take over as United's permanent manager.
"I'd go with Eddie Howe. I like him," Keane stated. "I like what he's done. He's managed a lot of games. When his teams are at it, they'll play good football. He has his critics, but I like what he's done at Newcastle. He's managed seven or 800 games. He's still a young man. I love his calmness. Maybe Man Utd need a little bit of that.
"We've seen with our previous [appointments], we like people with emotions, but he's got that calmness. The job he's done at Newcastle, Champions League and winning a cup, I'd be happy to see him go in there."
Fletcher, who managed United for Wednesday's 2-2 draw against Burnley, is expected to stay in the dugout for Sunday's FA Cup fixture at home to Brighton. The Red Devils are then anticipated to appoint a caretaker manager - with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer presently the frontrunner - until the season concludes.