“Leopards don’t change their spots.”
Roy Keane has been proved right as an old clip where he predicted a Manchester United dressing room revolt has resurfaced.
On Sunday, Solskjaer’s time as United manager came to an end after the Red Devils were embarrassed 4-1 by Watford at the weekend.
The hammering at Vicarage Road means United have won just once in their last seven Premier League fixtures, which has seen them drop to seventh in the Premier League table.
Solskjaer – who has been under intense pressure in recent weeks after defeats to rivals Manchester City and Liverpool – has attracted criticism from a number of former players, with ex-team-mate Rio Ferdinand calling for his sacking last week.Â
However, the Norwegian did maintain some form of support with a few of his fellow United legends, Gary Neville and Roy Keane included.
While Keane has been critical of Solskjaer at times in the past few years, he has also blamed the Red Devils players for the club’s lack of success in recent seasons.
On 21 April 2019, United lost 4-0 away at Everton. They were then beaten 2-0 at Old Trafford against City just three days later.
Prior to the game against Pep Guardiola’s side, Keane was critical of the United players’ attitudes, insisting that they didn’t have the personnel to get the club ‘back to the very top’.
The Irishman also stated that they would ‘throw Solskjær under the bus, just like they did with Jose Mourinho’.
He said this a few years back and was spot on… đŸ’¯% correct. pic.twitter.com/f2GSi3JZN4
— Bryan Sheehan (@BryanSheehan9) November 20, 2021
He said: “You’ve got to be up for every game of football, so I don’t fall for this carry on that there’s going to be a brilliant reaction from these players.
“These are the same players that threw [Jose] Mourinho under the bus, and they will do exactly the same to Ole [Gunnar Solskjær], leopards don’t change their spots.
“There’s too many ‘bluffers’ at this club to get [Manchester] United back to the very top.”
Twelve of the players that were named in the squad for the Derby defeat to City in 2019 are still contracted at Man Utd – with just two of those players currently on loan at other clubs.
As Keane argued, this was always going to be the problem for the Red Devils. It would be fair to suggest that, in recent years, United have failed to clear the ‘dead wood’ from their squad, and have instead just added to it with a number of expensive signings.
Related links:
- Solskjaer’s drawn-out departure a reminder that the real problems at Manchester United go much deeper
- Beckham leads tributes as current and former United players pay tribute to Solskjaer
- Luis Enrique laughs off Man United links as new favourite emerges
