Roy Keane described Sunderland's play in the second half of Saturday's Tyne-Wear derby as "madness," as the club he formerly managed fell to a 3-0 home defeat to Newcastle.
2015-16 was the last time both Sunderland and Newcastle played in the same division of English football so when the FA Cup draw pitted the two bitter rivals against each other, both fanbases were buzzing for their reunion.
Sunderland hosted Saturday's early kick-off, hoping to get one over on their Geordie rivals, who have ascended to Champions League football in recent seasons as the Black Cats languish in lower divisions.
An own goal from Sunderland's Daniel Ballard had Newcastle 1-0 up at half-time, though they were not quite as dominant as many had anticipated.
It was the beginning of the second half, however, that had Roy Keane livid in the ITV studio post-match.
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Sunderland v Newcastle: Roy Keane slams young defender for major mistake
Just half a minute into the second period at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland defender Pierre Ekwah attempted to dribble past Miguel Almiron on the edge of his own box.
Almiron easily stole back possession and, with an overload of players, the Newcastle goal was inevitable - it was ultimately scored by Alexander Isak.
Isak makes the defence pay 💪
Look what it means to the @NUFC fans 🤩#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/CCq99INut8— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 6, 2024
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Isak went on to score a second from the penalty spot and seal a comprehensive 3-0 win for Newcastle, who progressed to the fourth round for the first time since 2020.
Roy Keane managed Sunderland between 2006 and 2008 and was on punditry duty as his former club gave up two cheap goals to fall to defeat on Saturday afternoon.
Speaking on ITV, Keane was particularly frustrated with the nature of Newcastle's second goal, and said he was stunned that the Sunderland centre-back had taken such risks on the edge of his box at such a stage of the game:
It's half-time and you're still in the game. Then, second half starts, 2-0, and it's game over.
Lack of quality from Sunderland, but they also gifted some goals away, which doesn't help.
Listen, they're young players and they're only going to learn from their own mistakes. But when I see defenders trying to beat players in the box or on the edge of the box, I just think it's madness.
You're under pressure, you're trying to get back - and he's not trying to pass it, he's trying to beat him! It's game over, they've been punished.
Keane did sympathise with the youth of Sunderland's squad and said that Saturday's defeat would be a learning curve for many of them.
Nonetheless, the ex-Manchester United captain said that players had to take responsibility, and could not understand how Ekwah had seen fit to take such a wild decision mere seconds into the second half:
The decision making from young players...at some stage you have to take responsibility. I'm sure the manager wouldn't have been saying to him, 'go out for the second-half and try and beat players on the edge of the box!'
That will define a player's career - your decision making. A minute into the second half, against your local rivals, you do not try and beat a man on the edge of your box. Madness.
Newcastle now enter the fourth round draw of the FA Cup, which will take place on Monday at 7:50 pm live on ITV.
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