Keane’s Blunt Truth: England Fans Need to Get Over Their Past
Roy Keane brought the heat when discussing England’s history of underperforming in major tournaments and the pressure fans put on their national team. The ITV pundit didn’t mince his words, calling out fans who claim the weight of the jersey affects the players.
With England gearing up for their Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands, Keane believes the focus should be on winning football matches, not dwelling on the past.
"You talk about England not having won anything for 30, 40 years, that’s not on this group of players. Focus on winning the game of football, and history will take care of itself," Keane said.
He added that "the weight of the jersey" is just an excuse for fans to deflect blame from the team’s actual performances on the pitch. "There’s a bit of arrogance that comes with that."
Keane’s comments sparked an interesting debate with his ITV colleagues Ian Wright and Gary Neville. Neville, another former England international, brought up the 2002-2006 "Golden Generation" that failed to deliver major honours. Keane countered, citing that having talented players doesn’t necessarily translate to success.
"You can’t be a good team just because you’ve got good players. If you’ve got good players, proper men, they’ll deal with the pressure. It’s part of the pressure of winning tournaments," Keane asserted.
England’s win over the Netherlands booked their spot in the Euro 2024 final, where they’ll look to end the country’s 58-year drought since winning the World Cup. But despite the pressure, Keane urges fans to focus on the present.
"Focusing on the past doesn’t change a thing. It’s not going to improve their performance. What it takes is a group of players going out there and giving their everything for the shirt," Keane concluded.
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