Clashing athletes displaying friendly gestures just before a game seemed only appropriate but not with a former warrior of the Red Devils. Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane disapproved of the hugs and kisses exchanges between the Reds and Liverpool players minutes before "war" at the Old Trafford.
The scenes that occurred at the tunnel, which in normal times could be even endearing, was described by Keane as disgusting, The Daily Mail reported.
The Irish were reacting to the sight of opposing players showing love just before the game kick-off. David De Gea shook hands with his counterpart at Liverpool, and the same was observed with other members of the two clubs.
Most notably, Brazilian players from both sides were seen in friendly hugs and kisses just before heading out to the field, and these actions did not sit well with Keane. He insisted that being friends with the enemy should be the last thing on a player's mind when going into battle.
"I'm disgusted with players. You're going to war, they're hugging and kissing. Don't even look at the opposition. You're going into battle against them," the Irish footballer was reported as saying.
He added that while football is still the game that he used to play, the texture changed a bit, specifically on the part of the players. They seemed to lacks competitiveness, intensity, and the killer instincts displayed in the previous generations.
"The game hasn't changed that much, the players have changed. You're going to war against these players and they're hugging each other. Chat to them after the game, or don't even chat to them after the game," Keane insisted.
He certainly was talking from experience, Metro said in a related report. During a game by United against Arsenal in 2005, Keane had a tense confrontation with Patrick Vieira, then captain for the Gunners. It appeared that the tunnel spat worked in Keane's favor as his club had a convincing win at 4-2.
Keane suggested that for United to win more games, there must some form of reaction from the players heading to the game, which must be applied not only to the Liverpool match but also to future fixtures.
"You've got to turn it into war today," the Irish stressed.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemed to agree that the Reds needs to attack the game with more resolve to better achieve victories. In a post-game statement, Solskjaer said the Reds must display speed and purpose when facing opponents.
The United-Liverpool match ended in a draw.
