Roy Keane blasts ‘lazy’ Chelsea star Ben Chilwell following Manchester United stalemate
According to The Express, Manchester United legend, Roy Keane has laid into Chelsea star Ben Chilwell following the 1-1 draw between the two clubs at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
In a game in which the visitors dominated, Chelsea appeared to have secured a late win thanks to Jorginho’s 87th-minute penalty. They were, however, thwarted deep into stoppage time as Casemiro secured a 95th-minute leveller.
A draw, in the end, was a fair result but it could have been so much more for Chelsea had they just held on. Unfortunately, it was not to be and we can now look back at the game as two points dropped against a direct rival.
Speaking after the game, Keane was critical of Chilwell and accused the Englishman of not showing enough fight to beat Casemiro to the decisive header in stoppage time. He went on to add that a lack of desire is prevalent in today’s full-backs and has become a trait of sorts.
“Chilwell was jumping for the sake of it… I don’t like that. [Chilwell] was going through the motions, [and it was an] amazing header. When the ball comes in, it’s situations like this – who wants it the most? It’s the modern full-back, wing-back, laziness, no desire.”
Keane is right in the assessment that Chilwell should have done better to thwart Casemiro. It is not a good look for a top-level defender to not see a game out, especially when victory was within grasp. A bit more heart and improvisation could have proven invaluable on the night.
One will, however, have to disagree with Keane’s assessment that modern-day full-backs have no desire. The game has moved on since the Irishman’s time and the role of a full-back has also evolved with it.
No more are they unglamorous defenders solely focused on keeping opposition wide attackers in check. In fact, the likes of Chilwell act as auxiliary wingers themselves going forward. It is a high-risk, high-return strategy that serves sides who like to seize the initiative.
The likes of Reece James and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all solid players whose primary objective is to contribute to the attack. In an era where strikers defend from the front, it is only natural that defenders will attack from the back. In fact, the only lazy accusation here would be of Keane’s punditry.
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The Man United legend is, however, right in his assessment that Chilwell should have done better. Chelsea needs their senior stars to step up and make decisive decisions, especially at the death in close-fought matches. Hopefully, Chilwell will learn from this mistake and improve in the coming games.
