Man United legend Roy Keane has been tipped for a new role at Old Trafford
Former Manchester United player Roy Keane arrives at Old Trafford.
Manchester United legend Roy Keane has been tipped to become the club's sporting director(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Roy Keane has been suggested for a surprising new position at Manchester United following Ruben Amorim's dismissal, with Michael Carrick poised to assume control as interim head coach. Carrick is expected to be officially announced as United's boss until the end of the season on Tuesday after an agreement was struck.
The 44-year-old, who became the club's first-choice option following discussions with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, is due to oversee his first training session on Wednesday. The Manchester derby on Saturday is likely to mark Carrick's first outing in the technical area as he attempts to bring stability.
However, former United goalkeeper Ben Foster reckons there are also more profound issues that need tackling away from the pitch. The ex-England international has now proposed that club legend Keane should be handed the position of sporting director to address the lack of fight being shown on the pitch.
Speaking on his Fozcast podcast, Foster said: "I'm going to put this out there. I think somebody like Roy Keane should be a Manchester United sporting director, somebody who understands the exact type of player that needs to be playing for Manchester United.
"I want somebody who's going to pick me players that will go out there every day and just battle. If the owners trust him, which they should do, then it's a match made in heaven."
Foster's remarks come at a moment when United's fragility has once again been exposed. The club's FA Cup elimination to Brighton on Sunday, losing 2-1 at Old Trafford, led caretaker manager Darren Fletcher to describe the squad as "fragile" and lacking the mental strength required to overcome adversity.
Darren Fletcher after the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Darren Fletcher accused Manchester United's players of being "fragile" after their FA Cup exit(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Strikes from Brajan Gruda and Danny Welbeck secured Brighton's progression to the fourth round, despite a late consolation from Benjamin Sesko. With supporters voicing their displeasure at the final whistle, Fletcher delivered a frank assessment afterwards.
He said: "The players are fragile. They need to build themselves up and respond. Confidence is one of the most powerful things in football, but when you don't have it, you have to dig deep.
"They have to come together. It's only the players that can do something about it. They have to find a way to win. It's about hard work, attitude and application."
Danny Welbeck scores as Manchester United lose 2-1 to Brighton
Danny Welbeck was on the scoresheet as Manchester United lost 2-1 to Brighton(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Foster believes that this evaluation demonstrates precisely why someone like Keane is required in a senior footballing capacity, charged with transforming the squad's mindset alongside its ability.
The former Watford and Wrexham goalkeeper added: "Look what Fletch said after the game - he basically said that we weren't good enough. You can see that we were fragile.
"When you're fragile and you're not good enough, you need to battle. You've got to scrap and do all the dirty, ugly things. They didn't really do that, whereas other teams will be better and win more games and be higher up in the league just purely through battling.
"He [Keane] is somebody who can identify those players who have that nasty little bite in them, that intensity and that will to want to win every single game."