After England’s hard-fought victory over Slovakia to reach the last eight of the European Championships, Manchester United legend Roy Keane, who is typically harsh in his media appearances, surprisingly defended Gareth Southgate’s side, emphasizing that “winning deserves praise.”
Jude Bellingham’s spectacular bicycle kick in the 95th minute pulled the Three Lions back from the brink, with captain Harry Kane heading home at the start of extra time to secure a tough victory. ITV pundits Ian Wright and Gary Neville saw the game as a complete failure beyond the result, while Keane saw a positive side.
Wright was disheartened, saying, “You can’t go into the next game feeling good about how they played. Whether they need to change personnel, whether they need to change the tactics, it’s still up in the air.” Neville felt change was urgent: “The nation is crying out for more changes after every game, and the same calls will be there again, demanding that Palmer and Arnold and other players come in to bring more balance and more excitement. Winning is the most important thing, but the way they are playing, winning the tournament is not realistic.”
Keane believes the team needs encouragement, especially after a tough victory. Keane said: “Sometimes after games, you reflect and talk about performances, but at this level, the most important thing is winning. Everyone wants to win pretty, but what if you’re winning and you’re progressing? England didn’t play well tonight, we criticized them at halftime, but they found a way to win. Big players stepped up at a big moment, Bellingham made a big-time play, and England got over the line.”
Keane believes ugly wins are a necessary quality for winners: “You’ve got to give credit where it’s due, because they found a way to win. Some of my biggest satisfactions in my career came from games where I didn’t play well, but we won the game.”
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