Keane Left Fuming as Gueye Sent Off
Everton’s Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane suffered major blows to their popularity this past week. Both players experienced steep drops in the Goalden View Popularity Ranking (GVPR), following their controversial bust-up against Manchester United. Gueye dropped 402 places, while Keane fell 431 positions, landing at 783rd and 1,121st, respectively. This marks the lowest ever rankings for both players, and for good reason. This comes after a heated on-pitch argument between the two escalated, culminating in Gueye striking Keane in the face, prompting a straight red card from the referee.
The incident unfolded during a tense moment in the match, with tempers flaring between the Everton teammates. While they later publicly apologized and even shared a playful boxing ring skit joking about the situation, the initial damage had already been done. Fans and football journalists were quick to express disappointment, noting that such behaviour undermines team cohesion and professionalism.
GVPR Reaction
The GVPR drop illustrates the intensity of fan and media reaction. Gueye and Keane’s actions were widely perceived as unprofessional and entirely avoidable, overshadowing any on-field contributions during the match. Social media was flooded with criticism, with many pointing out that letting personal disputes interfere with team performance is unacceptable at the professional level. The rankings reflect that even public apologies can’t immediately repair the reputational harm caused by such incidents.
For both Gueye and Keane, climbing back up the GVPR will require consistent professionalism and strong performances. The focus needs to shift back to their football rather than their disagreements. Fans will be watching closely to see if this moment becomes an incident both players can learn from or a lasting mark on their reputations.