England - Former midfielder Roy Keane criticized Man Utd for not showing spirit and desire to win, after the 0-0 draw with Man City in round 31 of the Premier League.
"I would love to be wrong, and Man Utd will be in the top five, top six next season, but I don't see it," Keane told Sky Sports. "I've watched the last few games live. I kicked a cup of tea when I saw the defeat to Nottingham Forest. Man Utd were tidy, but they didn't show any signs of scoring. Today they didn't score again. When you play for a big club with big contracts, you have a responsibility to win."
The former Ireland midfielder continued to compare Liverpool, who are top of the Premier League and 35 points ahead of Man Utd. "We've been praising Liverpool for the last few months. Why? Because they've been clinical and winning," he said. "So, I'm sick of people saying there are signs that Man Utd are improving. Signs of what?"
Before FIFA Days, Man Utd were unbeaten in seven consecutive matches in all competitions, excluding penalty shootouts. They drew 1-1 with Fulham and lost 3-4 in a penalty shootout in the fifth round of the FA Cup, drew 2-2 with Everton, 1-1 with Arsenal, beat Ipswich Town 3-2, Leicester 3-0 in the Premier League and drew 1-1 with Real Sociedad, winning 4-1 over two legs in the round of 16 of the Europa League.
But Man Utd have not won their last two matches. The "Red Devils" lost 0-1 at Nottingham Forest thanks to a super solo goal by "old man" Anthony Elanga, then drew 0-0 with Man City at Old Trafford on April 6. With these results, Man Utd continue to stand in 13th place with 38 points, 4 points behind Brentford ranked above.
"I know Man Utd beat Leicester and Sociedad, but the performance in the last matches has not been good," said Keane. "Forget my generation of Man Utd or the clubs competing for the top 3, top 4. Compare them to Brentford, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Wolves. Can't Man Utd be above them? The current team should be better than the teams I just mentioned."
At Old Trafford yesterday, Man Utd created an expected goals (xG) of 0.92 but failed to score. Rasmus Hojlund started, but only touched the ball 15 times and did not shoot, before leaving the field early in the second half.
Man Utd's best chance in the first half belonged to Alejandro Garnacho, but he missed a header from a few metres away. In the second half, Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee missed close-range chances.
Keane admitted that the strikers did not play well, but Man Utd can score from other positions such as midfield, defense or from set pieces. He also criticized Man Utd for lacking leaders on the pitch and in the dressing room, which led to a lack of desire in the game. "Today, many Man Utd players clapped their hands and were satisfied with the draw. But the draw will not help anything. It was the same with Arsenal a few weeks ago," the former midfielder emphasized.
Keane also questioned coach Ruben Amorim's philosophy. "He will not change and that is a gamble," Keane commented. "In the summer, Man Utd will bring in new players and we will be able to evaluate Amorim better. That is his belief, his philosophy and that is fine. But I prefer the winning philosophy. I like that philosophy."
Despite their position in the Premier League, Man Utd will still qualify for next season's Champions League if they win the Europa League. Amorim's team will face Lyon in the quarterfinals of the second European competition, with the first leg taking place in France on April 10 and the second leg at Old Trafford on April 17.
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