“Today I’m actually feeling sorry for them,”
Roy Keane has admitted that he felt ‘sorry’ for the Manchester United players after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men lost against Manchester City in the derby.
The Red Devils suffered a 2-0 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side, with an own-goal from Eric Bailly and a Bernardo Silva strike ensuring that the Citizens went home with all three points.
United have lost four of their last five Premier League fixtures, with the pressure on Solskjaer mounting by the day.
Following the derby, Keane stated that, rather than feeling angry about the performance, he felt ‘sorry’ for the Red Devils players because ‘some of the United players just aren’t up for playing for Man United’.
“I’d like to go in hard on the [Manchester] United players, but today I’m actually feeling sorry for them,” said Keane.
“I think some of the United players just aren’t up for playing for Man United, particularly at home.
“The time to judge a player, when I was at United, is about how they can cope playing in front of 70 or 75,000 when you’re under the cosh, and Man Utd were under the cosh today in the first half which is fine, but you stay in the fight, but this time doesn’t stay in the fight.
🗣"This team just don't have the desire and fight."
Roy Keane just feels sorry for the Manchester United players pic.twitter.com/QcFzFDcKXU
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 6, 2021
The former United midfielder also suggested that the Red Devils lack ‘personality’.
He added: “You go in at half-time 1-0, its not ideal but you regroup as a team, you’re on the ropes but you’ve got to keep swinging, but this time doesn’t, this team almost says, ‘Ah, we’re up against it and we haven’t got the quality’.
“I wouldn’t say they throw the towel in, because that’s really tough to throw at any team, but they just don’t have that desire to stay in the fight.
“I played with really good players here at Man Utd, the amount of times we just hung in there and ended up getting a late goal or a late equaliser and you show you’re quality.
“This team doesn’t have, what I would use, personality.
“I’m sure they’re a decent group and they go for lunch and all these things, but its what happens when the referee blows the whistle.”
Keane argued that Man Utd needed to be more aggressive, stating that picking up cards can sometimes help to get the crowd going.
“There’s one yellow card today for Man Utd, I think it was for Ronaldo, I’m not saying go out and get 7 or 8 yellow cards, that doesn’t win you football matches, but it is a derby game, you have to show your quality but you do have to show your emotion in the game,” he said
“Go and close somebody down, I’ve often had it when I’ve not been at the races in a game, and I go ‘you know what, what I might do is smash into somebody, just to make me feel better’ and sometimes it gets a reaction from the players or fans.”
Related links:
- Roy Keane ‘gives up’ on Man Utd players after poor first half display
- Jadon Sancho made a ‘mistake’ joining Man Utd, claims German legend Matthaus
- Marouane Fellaini reveals he cried when Man Utd sacked David Moyes
