Former Manchester United player Roy Keane has criticized Erik ten Hag’s team for allowing themselves to be labeled as a ‘cup team.’
As part of the Sky Sports panel covering Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, Keane, a former United captain, was harsh in his critique of the Red Devils under Ten Hag’s leadership.
During Ten Hag’s tenure, United has finished 3rd and 8th in the Premier League, but they have managed to win trophies in both seasons, lifting the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.
Despite these cup victories, United’s 8th-place finish in the Premier League last season marked the club’s worst in the competition’s history. Keane believes the pressure from that disappointing campaign still lingers over Ten Hag.
“You’d be worried for the manager,” Keane admitted to his fellow pundits. “I would never stand here and say, ‘I expect the manager to lose his job,’ but there’s no doubt the pressure from last year is building.”
“You remember the FA Cup final against Manchester City, and they got out of jail in a few cup games. But the pressure must be building.”
“When you play for a big club, and Man United is one of the biggest, I’d hate the label of being a ‘cup team.’ That suggests, in terms of the league, you can’t perform consistently week in, week out.”
“I’m not talking about competing with Manchester City or Arsenal; I’m talking about being competitive with teams like Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Spurs. Right now, Manchester United seems a step behind them. That’s what worries me, not just what Man City and Arsenal are doing.”
What might stand out to United fans is Keane’s shift in tone; instead of his usual fiery demeanor, he delivered his assessment with a sense of resignation about the club’s current state.
When asked about his hopes for United moving forward, the Irishman, who faced Liverpool twenty times during his playing career, expressed his concerns.
“When Klopp and Arteta first joined the Premier League, you could sense that they had the backing and that the feel-good factor was returning. But when you keep losing, as United did last season at home, finishing eighth, and then get beaten convincingly today after a loss to Brighton, that optimism fades.”
“When the stadium empties after sixty minutes because the game’s already over, it adds massive pressure on the manager. It’s only natural.”
“Of course, I want them to turn things around, but the longer it takes, and the more you come to games like this and see them losing comfortably to one of their biggest rivals, the pressure will only increase.”
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