'Can't trust them': Roy Keane unleashes on Gareth Bale, Dele Alli and Spurs squad

'We're talking about Bale coming on and making a difference. What did he do? He put a corner in! He's coming to do big things'

Roy Keane has cast doubts over Tottenham's ability to finish in the top four of the Premier League and suggested that Jose Mourinho can't trust the players to do a job for the team on the pitch.

While Gareth Bale and Dele Alli got the sharpest criticism from the Republic of Ireland and Manchester United legend, Keane suggested the squad isn't good enough to qualify for the Champions League.

"I expect them to win today and I expect them to be in the top seven or eight," the Cork man said on Sky's live coverage of their clash with Burnley before they raced into a 3-0 interval lead.

"But this idea that Spurs should automatically be in the top four, if you analyse the group of players they've got...people are saying he's chopping and changing. Well, he's chopping and changing for a reason: Because he can't trust them.

"They played West Ham last week (in a 2-1 defeat), we're talking about (Gareth) Bale coming on and making a difference. What did he do? He put a corner in! He's coming to do big things, he's coming to Spurs to get them in the top four - he can't get in the starting 11.

🗣 "Bale came on and made a difference? What did he do? He put a corner in. I'm sick of talking about Dele Alli, looking at his stats from 2 or 3 years ago."

Roy Keane is fed up with talking about Gareth Bale & Dele Alli getting Tottenham back to the top 4 😡 pic.twitter.com/yBpCHQDE9w

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 28, 2021

"We're talking about Dele Alli - we're sick of talking about Dele Alli. What do you think is gonna happen with this kid? We're looking at his stats from two or three years ago.

"He's lost the hunger, he's lost the eye of the tiger, he's not going to get Tottenham back into the top four."

The comments were in the context of an argument with Jamie Redknapp over Spurs' quality.

Redknapp said Spurs were underachieving but still had a “strong squad full of internationals in every department”, comments which drew a strong response from Keane.

“Playing for your country doesn’t make you a top player,” the ex-Republic of Ireland midfielder said on Sky Sports. “If you can trap the ball you can play for your country these days… “If you don’t play for your country these days you are a bad player. It doesn’t guarantee anything.

“Which one of this Tottenham team now would get into Liverpool, Manchester City or the Chelsea team? You wouldn’t touch any of them. Son and Kane – outstanding – but the rest of them you wouldn’t touch.” Redknapp appeared taken aback by the outburst, and responded to say that Toby Alderweireld would get a start for Keane’s old club.

“Alderweireld would get in the Man United team right now,” he said.

“You’re right that the goalkeeper is not good enough and the two right-backs they’ve signed, no, I don’t trust (Serge) Aurier or (Matt) Docherty…the back four isn’t good enough but (Sergio) Reguilon is as good a left-back as there is in the country.”

Bale opened the scoring in the second minute as a blazing start put Mourinho's side well on the way to victory over relegation-threatened Burnley.