Roy Keane's public attack on Michael Carrick's wife says far more about Roy Keane than it ever will about Michael Carrick
Eamon Dunphy
09:51 ET, 20 Jan 2026
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - JUNE 10: Pundit and former player Roy Keane working for ITV Sport before the international friendly match between England and Senegal at the City Ground on June 10, 2025 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Roy Keane is becoming a parody of the figure he once was(Image: Visionhaus, Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Anyone who ever wondered why there is always so much fuss about Manchester United only had to tune into the Manchester derby on Saturday.
This was why there is still so much talk about the glory days. Because when that team clicks, and when that crowd roars, it remains one of the great sights and sounds in football. Old Trafford alive, energised, believing again. You could feel it through the television.
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This was Manchester United playing with conviction. Good, experienced players playing in their proper positions, which is always a good place to start. Harry Maguire was back where he belongs, at centre-half in a back four, and he looked like a footballer again.
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Diego Dalot was playing at right-back, his best position, not being asked to be something he isn't. Lisandro MartÃnez, a tough, uncompromising defender, was alongside Maguire, giving United a bit of edge and bite at the heart of the defence.
It matters. These things always matter. Football is not complicated if you don't make it complicated. It is important to note that the key changes made by Michael Carrick went a long way towards explaining this performance.
Bruno Fernandes was pushed higher up the pitch and was excellent. That is where he should be playing - close to the opposition goal, making things happen, taking responsibility. Asking him to play deep only takes away his best qualities.
Behind him, Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo formed a proper midfield partnership. One experienced, one young, both disciplined. And it worked because United worked as a team. They ran, they pressed, they tackled, and they played with purpose. There was nothing tentative about it. This was full-on, committed football, and in the end it was a great triumph.
Yes, it has to be noted that City were without some important players. John Stones was missing, and that matters. Rodri is back from injury, but he is not the player he once was. Whether that is fatigue, age or the sheer mileage in his legs, I don't know. But he is not dominating games the way he used to.
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Even allowing for that, this was still a significant result. United didn't beat some small-time club. They beat the team that has won six league titles under Pep Guardiola. A team that went into Saturday's game second in the table, still very much part of the title conversation.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 17: Michael Carrick, Manager of Manchester United applauds the fans after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on January 17, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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Changes made by Michael Carrick went a long way towards explaining Manchester United's performance(Image: Neal Simpson/Allstar, Getty Images)
On this basis, United are back - not as champions, not yet, but back as a serious football team. Back as an opponent nobody will relish playing.
The question now is what they do next. The answer is simple enough. They have to push on and secure a top-four finish. They have to qualify for the Champions League. That is where Manchester United should be. That is their natural habitat.
Anyone who truly loves football hates to see United struggling. Not because you support them, but because when Manchester United are at their best - when they play with freedom, passion, joy and no fear - they are good for the game. They represent something bigger than themselves.
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Michael Carrick understands what the club stands for. Freedom. Invention. Pride. Arrogance - but good arrogance. The kind that comes from believing you belong at the top table. Fernandes personifies that, and in a strange way so does Harry Maguire, who has been treated badly and unfairly at times. He made a difference on Saturday. He stood up. He led.
This United team will not be taken for granted by anyone now. They have a real chance of qualifying for Europe, ideally the Champions League. And they won't be overburdened by fixtures, because they are not in Europe this season. That could yet prove a blessing.
There is, however, one other thing that needs to be said about Saturday, and it is a sad piece of business.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, JANUARY 7: Manchester United Captain Roy keane during the FA Cup match between Fulham v Manchester United at Craven Cottage on January 7, 2001 in London, England . (Photo by Mark Leech/Getty Images)
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I feel ashamed for football because of Roy Keane's antics(Image: Mark Leech/Offside, Getty Images)
Roy Keane greeted Michael Carrick's moment by having a go at Carrick's wife, Lisa. Keane is becoming an embarrassment - to football, to himself, and perhaps to Ireland. He said: "Well his wife can always come in because she has got a bit of a big mouth sometimes. She is probably doing the team talk."
This stems from a row between Carrick's wife and Keane back in 2014. But it is not right - ever - to attack a woman in a high-profile situation like this. It is cheap. It is lazy. And it is wrong.
I feel ashamed for football, and for Ireland, because of Keane's antics. I feel for Carrick. He has taken on a big job at Old Trafford. He is trying to rebuild something meaningful. Keane, meanwhile, is doing adverts where he insults people for money, becoming a parody of the figure he once was.
But to have your wife publicly attacked by Roy Keane crosses a line. It is too much. And it says far more about Roy Keane than it ever will about Michael Carrick.
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