Roy Keane does not need to apologize for Erling Haaland's analysis: he has every right to criticize the Manchester City star
Manchester United legend Roy Keane has every right to criticize Erling Haaland and should never apologize for his opinions.
That is the opinion of the talkSPORT presenter. Simon Jordanwho has defended the former midfielder for his controversial interpretations of the Manchester City forward.
In March, Keane compared Haaland's preparatory play to that of a League Two Playerstating that despite his brilliance in front of goal (he has never criticized that aspect), his overall aspect of the game needs improvement.
Haaland, whose father, Alf-Inge, had a high-profile dispute with Keane during their playing days that left them both with knee injuries, brushed off those comments after his four goal haul against the Wolves on Saturday.
But he found himself in Keane's bad books for his spirited reaction to being knocked out, which led to the Premier League's highest-scoring player being branded a 'spoiled'.
KeaneThe indignant comment. City fans, while journalists Jason Burt and Henry Winter had things to say about them, but Jordan has insisted the 52-year-old has done nothing wrong.
Speaking on the White and Jordan show, he said: “I'd rather listen to Roy Keane's analysis than Jason Burt and Henry Winter's on anything resembling football.
“What I'll also listen to is someone who says something substantial, someone who doesn't hang around, someone who isn't worried about offending people.
“Someone who says what he wants to say and doesn't prevaricate or want to exclude rights from the argument all the time, instead of doing it on the basis of an argument that has some substance.
“Do I think his comparison (of Haaland) to a League Two player is hyperbole?
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“Do people use exaggerated statements in order to make the main point, which is that their build-up game or their combination game is not good enough?
“Is that a fair comment? Yes. Are the lengths he's gone to too far? Does he need to apologize? Why? He has an opinion.”
“To whom does he have to apologize and why? To Erling Haaland?”
Danny Murphy later rejected accusations that Keane's analysis of Haaland is agenda-driven due to his dispute with his father.
Which led Jordan to state: “It has to be done correctly. Yes, during his time in English football, Roy Keane has not said anything positive about Erling Haaland, and has limited himself to speaking when he has been forced to say something positive , then you can make that accusation.
“So look at the credit column, look at the debit credit. The debit column right now says you've made two comments. Do they resonate with them?”
“Could Haaland do more in certain aspects of his game? I think the answer is probably yes.”
He continued: “We're in a sports entertainment business, so when you talk to someone, what do you want? Do you want Roy Keane not to operate at full speed?
“And then the agenda is: 'Let's ask some questions that make Roy Keane get down to business, because we're in the entertainment business.' So that's an agenda.
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“Is there any example where Roy Keane has a positive bias, where you can clearly see that what he's doing is looking at something through a prison where he fully supports it, even if it's wrong?
“I don't think so. I think objectively it's good and bad in equal measure.”
Haaland is on course to win his second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot having scored 36 goals in his debut season, which saw City finish the 2023 campaign as treble winners.
City are also aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title.
Listen to White and Jordan every weekday from 10am on talkSPORT
