Keane slams Fernandes and Man Utd for 'circus act' against Forest

Manchester United v Nottingham Forest - Premier League

Roy Keane criticised Manchester United’s players for focusing on Bruno Fernandes’ assist record during their match with Nottingham Forest. The former captain said he was “raging” at the reaction to the milestone and labelled the team’s behaviour a “circus act”.

Keane furious at focus on Fernandes assist milestone

The former Man Utd captain has criticised the club’s current squad for focusing on Fernandes’ individual statistics during the 3-2 win over Forest. During the game, Fernandes recorded his 20th assist of the 2025-26 Premier League season, equalling the single-season record set by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

'I was raging with it'

However, Keane was angered by the reaction to the milestone. Speaking on the The Overlap, he criticised the attention placed on Fernandes’ statistic, particularly after Bryan Mbeumo scored. Keane expressed frustration after fellow pundit Gary Neville described Fernandes’ achievement as a “massive achievement”.

"What I heard at United the weekend, honestly, I was raging with it," Keane said. "The whole chat about his assists, and players talking about assists. He got interviewed after the match – and I was watching him – and everyone was talking about his assists, and even the players were, the game was about his assists."

Keane blasts “circus act” mentality

Keane suggested the focus on Fernandes’ individual record reflected a wider problem within the squad’s mentality. He criticised the players’ reaction to the assist, arguing the goalscorer should have received more recognition.

"After the game, he got interviewed, and the captain of Manchester United said, 'Yeah, a few times I probably should have shot, but I made them passes'," he added. "Wow. How can a footballer's mindset be going out to a match and be talking about some individual record? If it happens, he's going to get all them stats anyway, but to become the main point about Manchester United’s performance over the weekend."

"I was cringing with all of them. All the players, when he got the assist, going to him, what about the guy who scored the goal? He won't be winning trophies, not with that mindset of the team yesterday, where they're giving up two goals, and everyone's getting all giddy because he's equalled a record for assists. It's mind-boggling. It's mind-boggling. It's a circus act."

Manchester United v Crystal Palace - Premier League

What comes next?

Despite the debate, Fernandes is expected to remain focused on his duties on the pitch. The Red Devils still have one Premier League match remaining, traveling to Brighton on May 24.