Schmeichel: ’Fans are idiots!’, Keane: ’This is just the begining’

Two United legends, two different opinions. The tense situation between Manchester supporters and the American owner has deteriorated with the whole Super League debacle and has hit a new time low on Sunday, when protests outside Old Trafford turned into pitch invasion and cancelation of the derby between The Red Devils and Liverpool.

The current situation regarding one of the most popular clubs in the world leaves no one indifferent, yet alone two former legends and United captains: Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel. Former team mates, who played together for six seasons and almost 200 matches have totally different opinions of the situation.

United vs Liverpool postponed indefinitely due to pitch invasion

Roy Keane, now a TV pundit has sided with the supporters, as he sees the whole situation as something that was about to happen one way or another, and that this is just the beginning.

“They're doing it because they love the club and it's not what has happened over the last few weeks with the Super League. I think it's been building for a number of years now, that frustration, and they've come to the end and thought "enough is enough". The leadership of the club has not been good enough, when they look at the owners and feel it's just about making money. Sometimes you have to put a marker down for people to take notice and this will go all over the world now and people will have to sit up and take note. Hopefully the owners of Man United will say "these fans are deadly serious" and there's more to come. This is just the start for United fans and their plan is for the United owners to give in and sell the club” said Keane for Sky Sports.

On the other hand, his former team mate, now an ambassador for United, has decided to criticize the fans who stormed the stadium and called them trouble makers.

“I don't think the die-hard fans were the ones inside the stadium. I think they are idiots, troublemakers. None of them will remember the good times. Some of them weren't even born when the Glazers took over the club. The die-hard fans, the true fans, keep voicing your opinions, but keep it at a proper level. Don't be stupid about it. Don't demand something which is unrealistic. Keep up the pressure, keep up the ideas. The club will be, I don't know, three, four, five billion dollars? Who's got that kind of money to buy the football club?” said Schmeichel to CBS Sports.

Former United captain has another idea: work together with the owners and find a solution. 

"I would much rather that we work with the Glazers, because I think there is a willingness within the family. Work with the Glazers to make this football club what this football club is supposed to be. I think everyone feels that the Glazer family is a little bit too detached from the club. We have this ownership, but from the outside, it looks like the owners don't care, that it is just about money. I don't think that's completely the case. I think they are very proud of their ownership of Manchester United. I just think there is a need now for a restructuring of how it's being operated“.

Off course, being the ambassador of the club, which means you are on a payroll, didn’t sit well with the fans, who mainly thought that the Dane has failed to criticize the owners simply because he is paid by the club. There were a lot of angry tweets after his comments, where he has been labeled as “

As Roy Keane said, this is just the beginning…