In a scathing critique, Manchester United legend Roy Keane has unleashed his dissatisfaction at West Ham United and manager David Moyes for their decision to keep Manchester City loanee Kalvin Phillips out of the starting lineup in their recent face-off against the Red Devils.
Keane, speaking post-match, expressed his belief that Phillips would be seething following the choice to exclude the English international from the initial XI. However, the Irishman did extend a degree of sympathy toward the decision, acknowledging Phillips’ limited game time over the past couple of years and his somewhat erratic injury history.
Having faced challenges securing a consistent spot in the first team at City, Phillips managed only 16 Premier League appearances since joining the Sky Blues in the summer of 2022. His struggle to outshine Rodri in the midfield hierarchy posed a significant obstacle during his time at the Etihad.
Despite West Ham’s 3-0 defeat against United on Sunday, where they registered more shots and arguably dominated extended periods of the game, Phillips was introduced in the 72nd minute for Vladimir Coufal. However, his impact was minimal, raising questions about whether a starting role might have yielded different results.
Keane, offering his insights on Sky Sports and reported by TalkSPORT, remarked, “From the player’s point of view, I think he’d be fuming. You go to get some games, he played 70 minutes, he’s a sitting midfielder, you use your intelligence there in terms of when to sprint and when to sit in. Obviously David Moyes will be worried about it in terms of picking up an injury quickly, but from the player’s point of view, he has to get minutes under his belt, he has to get games. Remember, he’s on loan from [Manchester] City, he’s going to Old Trafford and now he’s sitting on the bench. Obviously David Moyes is an experienced manager, but I think from the player’s point of view, he’ll be fuming.”
