Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane did not pull any punches during his latest television appearance, singling out Aston Villa midfielder Emi Buendía as the worst player in the Premier League right now. Keane’s blistering assessment came directly on the heels of another listless performance from the Argentine playmaker during Villa’s frustrating scoreless draw against Hull City. Buendía struggled to make any meaningful impact throughout his 75 minutes on the pitch, misplacing key passes and failing to direct any of his shots on target before being hauled off by Unai Emery.
Keane launched into a scathing critique of Buendía’s current output and body language, insisting that a player expected to pull the strings in midfield is simply offering nothing to his side. He questioned the Argentine’s desire and quality, claiming his performances have plummeted to a level unmatched by any other regular in the top flight. Adding further fuel to the fire, the pundit also turned his attention to Aston Villa’s transfer business, heavily criticizing the recent signing of winger Alejandro Garnacho. Keane argued that bringing in Garnacho fails to address the underlying tactical issues in Villa’s attack and questioned the wisdom of relying on expensive new additions while senior players continue to underperform so drastically on the pitch.
The reaction from the Aston Villa faithful has been swift and divided across social media and fan forums. A large section of supporters voiced complete agreement with Keane’s assessment, expressing deep frustration over Buendía’s continuous slump and calling for him to be dropped from the starting lineup entirely. Other fans defended the club’s strategy, maintaining that Garnacho needs time to adapt to Emery’s system and that Keane’s harsh breakdown of Buendía was overly aggressive. Nevertheless, the growing discontent in the stands underlines the heavy pressure now mounting on Villa’s creative players to turn their form around immediately.