Gabby Agbonlahor has told Roy Keane to “be quiet” after the Manchester United legend’s bizarre description of John McGinn as a “pub player.”
- Keane acknowledged McGinn’s importance to Villa, but claimed he “looks like a pub player” when not performing
- Agbonlahor fired back on talkSPORT: “Tell me you don’t watch Villa every week without telling me”
- McGinn lifted the Europa League trophy last month and captained Villa to a fourth-place Premier League finish
- Agbonlahor also described Keane as “not a great coach”, sharing an entertaining Red Bull story from 2014
Keane’s comment. Bizarre timing, bizarre take
Roy Keane has never been someone who softens his opinions for public consumption. However, his recent podcast comments about John McGinn have generated a specific and entirely justified backlash from the Villa fanbase and those who watch the club regularly. Keane acknowledged, fairly, that McGinn has been central to Villa’s recent success. Nevertheless, he added the qualification that when the Scottish captain is not performing at his best, he “looks like a pub player.”
The timing is remarkable. McGinn has just lifted the Europa League trophy in Istanbul as Aston Villa captain. He has scored ten goals across all competitions this season. He delivered a brace in the semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest that sent Villa to Turkey. Thiago Silva has specifically warned Brazil to beware him at the World Cup. Furthermore, he has captained Scotland to their first World Cup since 1998. The idea that the last time McGinn looked like a pub player is even within recent memory has struck most Villa supporters as genuinely baffling.
Agbonlahor responds. Direct, specific and entirely justified
Gabby Agbonlahor’s response on talkSPORT was characteristically direct and entirely in keeping with his long-standing defence of Villa’s players and reputation. The former striker, who worked under Keane as Paul Lambert’s assistant in 2014, did not waste any time in addressing the comment.
“I have a bone to pick with Roy Keane because he said that when John McGinn is not at it, he is a pub player,” Agbonlahor told talkSPORT. “That just sums up Roy Keane, to be honest. It says to me, tell me you don’t watch Aston Villa every week without telling me. John McGinn, every game he is at it. He is a reliable player: seven out of ten. Roy Keane, be quiet please, mate.”
That specific observation of “tell me you don’t watch Villa every week without telling me”, captures the core problem with Keane’s comment. McGinn’s consistency has been one of the defining features of Villa’s entire Emery era. Consequently, the idea that his off-days are so frequent or so notable as to warrant a “pub player” description reflects a familiarity with the player that simply does not match the evidence.
The coaching record. Agbonlahor goes further
Additionally, Agbonlahor was invited to comment on Keane’s coaching career and the response was equally unsparing. “Not a great coach, mate. Just being honest. In his coaching career he wasn’t good. Anger issues. Different generation of players.”
The Red Bull anecdote that followed was particularly entertaining. “After a game against QPR, he got a can of Red Bull and threw it across into the shower. He said: ‘I see you all drinking it, it doesn’t work. Do the science!’ He had a tantrum, mate. I thought I was going to burst out laughing.” The punchline landed perfectly. “But apparently in one of his books he said he took a Red Bull every game, so make your mind up, Roy, which one is it, mate?”
ReadAstonVilla Verdict
Agbonlahor is right. McGinn is not a pub player in any form, on any day, in any competition. He is the man who lifted the Europa League and he is the captain who delivered Istanbul. He is the player Thiago Silva specifically warned Brazil about. Roy Keane is entitled to his opinion, but the evidence comprehensively disagrees with it.
