admin# From Scorn to Acclaim: Roy Keane’s Turnaround on Neco Williams After Forest’s Turf Moor Grit
In the swirling winds of Turf Moor, Nottingham Forest clawed a vital point from a resilient Burnley side on Saturday, September 20, 2025, ending Ange Postecoglou’s winless start to life at the City Ground. The 1-1 draw was a tale of early promise and late resolve, but it was right-back Neco Williams who emerged as the unlikely hero, his deflected strike in the second minute securing Forest’s first Premier League point under their new Australian boss. Yet, the real drama unfolded off the pitch, where former Forest legend Roy Keane—never one to mince words—delivered a stunning about-face on the Welsh international he had lambasted just weeks prior.
Keane’s ire had been swift and sharp following Forest’s dismal opening to the season. After a 3-0 home defeat to West Ham United in late August, the Irish firebrand tore into Williams on Sky Sports, branding his defending “amateurish” and his positioning “a liability waiting to happen.” “He’s got the tools, but he’s playing like he’s scared of his own shadow,” Keane fumed, pointing to Williams’ errant passes and failure to track runners as symptomatic of Forest’s broader fragility. The comments stung, echoing Keane’s storied tenure at the club in the 1990s, where he captained them with unyielding ferocity. Williams, a £17 million signing from Liverpool in 2020, had endured a rocky few years, his potential often overshadowed by inconsistency.
Fast forward to Burnley, and Williams silenced his doubters with a performance of poise and purpose. Not only did he open the scoring—latching onto a Douglas Luiz corner and unleashing a curling effort that wrong-footed Clarets keeper James Trafford—but he nearly doubled his tally late on, forcing a fingertip save. Defensively solid, he won five of seven duels and completed 85% of his passes, anchoring a backline that repelled waves of home pressure after Lyle Foster’s equalizer in the 28th minute.
Post-match, Keane was on hand for Sky Sports’ analysis, and his praise flowed like a rare Forest vintage. “Fair play to the lad—Williams was outstanding today,” he declared, a grin cracking his trademark scowl. “He took my words on the chin, clearly, and responded like a man. That goal was class, and his energy at the back kept Burnley at bay. If he keeps this up, he’ll be a cornerstone for Postecoglou.” It was a classic Keane pivot: brutal honesty laced with grudging respect, the kind that has defined his punditry career.
For Williams, 24, the endorsement from his boyhood idol—Keane, after all, was the heartbeat of Forest’s last great era—could prove transformative. “Roy’s a legend; his criticism lit a fire,” Williams told reporters, sweat still beading on his brow. “I used it to fuel me.” As Forest eye a first win against Bournemouth next weekend, this draw feels like a turning point. In a season of upheaval—Nuno Espírito Santo’s shock sacking, Postecoglou’s arrival—Keane’s nod to Williams symbolizes redemption amid the chaos. Forest fans, long starved of silver linings, will hope it’s the start of something fiercer.
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