Roy Keane has hit back at Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder following his Newcastle United comparison after the Blades' 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool.
Wilder's men suffered another blow in their bid to remain in the Premier League thanks to the aforementioned loss which leaves the Yorkshire side 15 points adrift of safety at the bottom with 12 games remaining.
But Wilder was quick to defend his side after the game as he suggested his team has a fighting relegation model and doesn't have the same depth as Newcastle.
Wilder told Sky Sports: “No, there isn’t (anything they can do about it). Our model is 17th in the division, at best, our model is trying to buy the best Championship players.
"This is honest. Be one of those clubs because of the gulf and what it takes to be an established Premier League club, depth of squad, everything that goes with it, we’re trying to improve, you’re trying to improve on the job, you’re trying to improve in a Premier League season.
"Look at our team out there, look at our bench and then you look at Newcastle’s team and bench last night, obviously there’s a lot of teams having a struggle with it.
"You then look at the bench and you see experienced Premier League players and it’s difficult to learn on the job when you haven’t got that quality. We set up to buy the best Championship players, which we feel like we do, take that drop and then regroup and come again, which I’m sure we will next week.”
Keane was on punditry duties for the match and responded to Wilder's comments by criticising the manager.
"He was saying last year they had earned the right to be here and they'd have a go but this season he keeps talking about how they are up against it," Keane told Sky Sports.
""He even talked about Newcastle there. Their (Blades) recruitment hasn't been good enough. If you've lost this many games you have to take the stick."
Newcastle themselves are 17th in the table and now just three points clear of Fulham in 18th after the 1-1 draw with Wolves. There are 12 matches remaining and the Magpies face West Brom next up on Sunday, March 7.
