Loads of Everton fans have been slamming Michael Keane on social media for his performance against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup Quarter-Final defeat.
Keane featured alongside Yerry Mina at home to the Foxes on Wednesday night, for what was the £60,000-per-week centre-half’s 16th start of the season in all competitions and third outing in the EFL Cup.
He struggled to contend with the likes of Jamie Vardy, Ayoze Perez and James Maddison bearing down on our goal, though, and was caught in no-man’s land as Jonny Evans struck the visitors’ second of the night.
Vardy’s mere presence would cause Keane to lose his focus the longer the game went on, leading to some fans tearing into the 10-cap England defender on social media, with suggestions he could be alone on the pitch and still give supporters reasons to be concerned.
Keane took the fewest touches of our backline on Wednesday night with 44, per WhoScored data, while also penning the worst pass success rate among our four defenders with just 63% of his 32 passes finding a teammate in Royal Blue.
The 26-year-old also recorded the joint-fewest successful tackles with two – the same total as Seamus Coleman – along with two clearances and two interceptions.
How would you describe Keane's performance vs Leicester City?
Man of the Match
Key to the result
Room for improvement
Absolutely awful
Keane, who was signed in 2017 for a potential £30million which matched our then club-record spend, also lost half of his aerial duels against Leicester, having attempted five defensive battles and three offensive contests.
He also lost possession 16 times, only Dominic Calvert-Lewin (16), Mason Holgate (16), Coleman (19), Tom Davies (20) and Leighton Baines (23) turned over the ball on more occasions, per Sofa Score figures.
Here are some of the messages shared from fans left unsettled by Keane’s performance as we lost on penalties to Leicester in the Carabao Cup Quarter-Final…
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more unnatural unorthodox centre-half in my life than Michael Keane. You can see the amount of intense thought and effort which it takes for him to play a 5-yard ball. Horrible, horrible to watch. I strongly dislike him, please sell.#EFC
— The Gwladys Street (@TheGwladysSt) December 18, 2019
Michael Keane could be on the pitch on his own and I’d still be prettified when he got the ball
— Louis Melia EFC (@LouisMeliaEFC) December 18, 2019
At this rate @Everton will have to pay a club to take keane off us. Zouma made him look class you know. #EFC
— COME ON YOU BLUES! (@Tezza_c1878) December 18, 2019
Michael Keane isn’t good enough, has no strength and whats worse has awful balance, was shocking today.
Can’t see much for Keane as he isn’t an Ancelotti style centre half.
— Nick (@NickEFC_) December 18, 2019
Yeah. can’t take to him. Too clumsy. Mina not much better to be honest.
— Dave ‘Davoth’ Kelly (@davothkelly) December 19, 2019
He’s a wreck and sadly so is Mina. Liability the pair of them.
— Jamie Yates (@mrjamieyates) December 18, 2019
Only defender I’ve seen that let’s it bounce every time, surely they taught him when he was a kid to never let it bounce over your head 🥴
— Daisy (@Daisy_1878) December 18, 2019
Mick Keane is a bin man! Got terrored by that pointy little wool all game tonight and it was so painful to watch
— 🤙🏼 (@L91EFC) December 19, 2019
Michael “second touch a tackle” Keane
— Michael (@MJ_EFC) December 19, 2019
In other Everton news, reports have suggested a £17.1m-rated midfielder could be heading to Goodison Park in January.