Altay Bayindir’s costly mistake in Manchester United’s opening-day defeat to Arsenal sparked a fiery exchange between Roy Keane and Micah Richards in the Sky Sports studio.
United slipped to a 1-0 loss at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Riccardo Calafiori’s first-half header settling the contest.
The decisive moment came in the 13th minute when Declan Rice’s corner unsettled Bayindir, who flapped at the delivery before palming the ball straight into the path of Calafiori to nod home from close range.
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The error immediately put the spotlight on Ruben Amorim’s team selection.
Altay Bayindir’s costly mistake in Manchester United’s opening-day defeat to Arsenal sparked a fiery exchange between Roy Keane and Micah Richards in the Sky Sports studio
|SKY
Amorim boss had surprised many by starting Bayindir instead of first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana.
The Cameroon international had only just returned from a hamstring injury but was available, with Amorim explaining pre-match that he had opted to reward players who impressed during pre-season.
Veteran Tom Heaton was also named on the bench ahead of Onana.
“We try to choose the best players for each game, so next week is a different life,” Amorim said. “This week, we chose these players. No, he’s not injured, he’s recovered, but the other guys did so well during pre-season, so I need to balance that.”
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After the final whistle, attention quickly shifted to the pundits’ table.
Richards suggested Bayindir had been left too exposed by his defenders, arguing that United’s back line should have offered more protection as Arsenal’s bigger players crowded the box.
Keane, however, was unimpressed with that defence.
“Micah, this is big boy stuff,” Keane snapped. “There’s going to be mismatches. If they’ve got a lot more players bigger than your lads, then you’re going to be outmatched somewhere.”
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"Micah, this is big boy stuff!"
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Roy Keane and Micah Richards trade blows over Altay Bayındır's decision-making for Arsenal's goal... 😬 pic.twitter.com/6B0Cb5NpCH
Richards tried to counter, insisting the goalkeeper should not have been left so vulnerable in the middle of his own goal.
“But not in the centre,” he fired back.
Keane stood firm, dismissing the idea of shielding a shot-stopper from such situations.
“That’s the goalkeeper, you can’t babysit a goalkeeper,” he retorted.
While the pair sparred over the finer points, Richards ultimately conceded that Bayindir should have dealt with the corner much better.
“I agree with you that the goalkeeper should definitely do better,” he admitted. “But I also believe he should be protected a lot more.”
Bayindir’s shaky display and Amorim’s decision to start him ahead of Onana will undoubtedly remain a talking point as United prepare for their next outing, with pressure mounting on both keeper and coach so early in the campaign.
Bruno Fernandes, meanwhile, argued that Arsenal's goal should have been disallowed due to Bayindir being impeded.
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Altay Bayindir was at fault as Man Utd lost 1-0 to Arsenal in their Premier League opener on Sunday | REUTERS“Altay was saying in the moment he goes to push the ball, he gets a touch," he said.
"But we know in the Premier League they don’t give much in these type of situations, even if they had a meeting with us saying that if the players are blocking and not looking at the ball, they will whistle more."