Roy Keane's Sir Alex Ferguson dig proves mistake Liverpool didn't make

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Roy Keane has reignited his long-running feud with Sir Alex Ferguson by criticizing the former Manchester United manager’s continued influence at Old Trafford, but Liverpool’s experience under Jürgen Klopp shows why that complaint highlights a mistake the Anfield club has avoided. Keane recently claimed Ferguson is still “hanging around like a bad smell,” suggesting United has struggled to move on properly because of the Scot’s lingering presence in the background.

The article explains that Keane’s frustration is rooted in United’s chaotic post-Ferguson era, marked by repeated managerial changes, muddled structures, and an identity crisis. In his view, having Ferguson still visible and seemingly consulted only blurs the lines of authority for new coaches and executives, making it harder for any one figure to take full control and impose a clear vision.

By contrast, Liverpool offers a model of what Keane believes United has failed to do. Although figures such as Kenny Dalglish remain hugely respected, they do not hover over the day-to-day football operation or overshadow the current manager. Instead, Liverpool has built defined roles, a modern sporting structure, and the space for Klopp to be the undisputed focal point of the project, allowing a clean cultural reset after each era.

The piece argues that United’s romantic attachment to Ferguson the symbol has interfered with the hard, unsentimental decisions required to modernize properly. Liverpool, stung by past missteps and false dawns, has been more deliberate about avoiding that dynamic, ensuring no legendary figure complicates the authority of the current regime. In that sense, Keane’s barb at Ferguson inadvertently underlines that Liverpool did not make the same mistake of letting the past sit too close to the present, and is stronger for it.