Manchester United have endured a tough season despite changing managers, and their former captain Roy Keane has taken aim at their expensively-assembled group of players
Manchester United have endured a tough season despite changing managers, and their former captain Roy Keane has taken aim at their expensively-assembled group of players Manchester United have endured a tough season despite changing managers, and their former captain Roy Keane has taken aim at their expensively-assembled group of players
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane is rarely afraid to call out Red Devils stars, and that has continued with his latest attack on Ruben Amorim’s squad.
Amorim’s team travelled to Anfield on Sunday off the back of four successive league defeats. Three of those came in the Premier League, with the other – a 4-3 loss at Tottenham – seeing them eliminated from the Carabao Cup.
Keane was far from optimistic ahead of the game against Arne Slot’s league leaders. United went into the game 23 points adrift of Liverpool, who have lost just once all season.
A run of poor displays in the first part of the season spelled the end for Erik ten Hag, and his successor Amorim has found things similarly tough. The Red Devils have an expensively-assembled squad, but their former skipper believes many aren’t up to the task.
“Obviously the new manager has come in, there’s been literally no reaction from the players which is a big concern,” Keane said on Sky Sports. “You look at the evidence over the last month or two, even previously, then you are asking yourself ‘how can Man United come to Liverpool today and get a result’?
“Morale, confidence must be really low obviously, they are not scoring goals. Set-pieces, not great at defending. They don’t look like a great group.
“They haven’t got that goalscorer…you look at any top team – we sit around here most weeks and go ‘Man United are a world class club’. They’ve got no world class players, they haven’t even got a striker today you think can get you out of jail.You look at the goalkeeper, he’s not great.”
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As well as the criticism of goalkeeper Andre Onana, Keane’s comments about United’s strikers are similarly damning. Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Marcus Rashford have all spent time leading the line, but a return of 21 goals from 19 games is worse than 19th-place Leicester.
“The evidence suggests it’s going to be tough going for United, and the players have to be held accountable,” Keane added. “You talk about the system, the ownership…the usual stuff. But the players, every time I look at United you want United to have quality, pace, belief, and whatever. I just want a bit of passion from United, a bit of passion in their performances.
“You ask about can you show us some enthusiasim, some energy. You are not even seeing that from this group of players. It’s absolutely disgraceful what they are doing week in and week out, the results they are turning up.
“The excuses after the match, they are blaming everyone. Have a good look at yourself, turn up today. They are lacking real quality but please show some passion.”
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Manchester United via Getty Imag)
United boss Amorim welcomed Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte back into the starting XI against Liverpool after the pair served one-game bans. There was no place in the squad for Rashford, though, with Amorim saying during the week that the forward was an illness doubt.
“No, I think Rashford is ill. Jonny [Evans] is out. I think the rest – Vic [Lindelof] is almost there and Luke [Shaw] also,” United’s head coach said. “But they are out. The others, I think, are fit.”
Opponents Liverpool were without Dominik Szoboszlai, who has also been ill. However, they were able to welcome back centre-back Ibrahima Konate, whose return from injury coincides with team-mate Joe Gomez facing a spell on the sidelines.
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