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Roy Keane dismissed Bruno Fernandes’ apology to Erik ten Hag as ‘too little, too late’ as the former Manchester United captain launched a scathing attack on the litany of ‘average’ players and said it would take years for Ruben Amorim to resolve the problem. mess.
Fernandes revealed he spoke to Ten Hag following his sacking on Monday and claimed the players were lucky it was “easier to get rid of one manager than 10 or 15 players”.
“I spoke with him and I also apologized to him if I could have done something better for him,” the United captain said after his side’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Old Trafford Sunday, which sent the club to its worst start. to one season for 38 years.
“I’m really disappointed that he’s gone. The team is not the best, the results are not the best and he is the one paying the price.
But Fernandes’ remarks sparked a scathing response from Keane, who claimed the players should have spoken up when Ten Hag was still in charge.
“These are always tricky interviews for players, but I wouldn’t have a lot of time and patience for the player to say, ‘look, sorry, we let you down’. Too little, too late,” said Keane.
“We will judge what you do on the football field. I don’t think Bruno has done enough in many matches yet. He did not demonstrate this leadership. So it would be interesting to hear what Ten Hag has to say about this. But we also have to move forward.
“A lot of players don’t care much if a manager leaves. They just focus on the next manager and prepare, take care of themselves. Players can be selfish, we know that, but I don’t think Bruno has done enough as Man United captain over the last two years to help the manager. Far from it.
“The proof is there with all the results. It’s not just because of Bruno, of course, but I don’t think he showed enough leadership when things got tough with some performances. I don’t think Bruno should be too proud of himself, of what happened to the coach in the last two weeks… I think the players finally let the coach down.
The draw left United in 13th position in the Premier League with just 12 points from their opening 10 matches, their worst start to a season since 1986/87, shortly before the arrival of Sir Alex Ferguson.
They are one of only three teams in the top flight to have failed to reach double figures in goals this season. You have to go back 51 years, to the start of the 1973-74 campaign, to see the last time United scored just nine goals in their first 10 league matches.
United announced on Friday that Amorim had signed a two-and-a-half year contract to become the club’s new head coach and would take up the role on November 11, but Keane believes it is not a long enough contract considering given the work of the Portuguese. TO DO.
“Ruben Amorim should have signed a longer contract,” said the former United midfielder. “There is a long way to go for this team. I know when a new manager comes in you hope he gets more out of this group, but this is an average Untied team, all the stats back that up.
“We keep telling ourselves, we don’t know what we’re going to get from them – it’s hit or miss. It’s not good. This United team: boring seems a bit strong but they lack conviction. Really disappointed, it was so flat. From a manager’s perspective, this team is a long way from getting back into the top four and competing.
“You look at certain people and maybe we think they are better than some of them. United are just a bit average in everything, they’re not special in everything. The lack of goals is hard to believe. You look at the chances they miss and that’s why managers lose their jobs.
“United fans must leave scratching their heads. When you watch United, they play for moments. That’s nowhere near good enough for a United team.
United were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men in stoppage time when Lisandro Martinez was booked for a foul on Cole Palmer which Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca described as “clear red”. Martinez raked his cleats over Palmer’s left knee, then caught him on his right boot, but VAR reviewed the incident and ruled the challenge did not constitute “serious foul play”.
“I know you’re going to ask me about the referee’s decision, it’s pretty clear to almost all of us but the referee made a different decision,” Maresca said. “When there is no intention to go for the ball and you just go for the player, it’s red.
“No, they [the officials] didn’t say anything. When there’s no intention to go for the ball and go for the legs… I think it’s quite clear that it’s a red.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, United’s caretaker manager, said he did not review the incident but did not think it was a red card at the time.
But Keane and fellow Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville reckoned Martinez was lucky to escape a sending-off. “That boy is a lucky boy,” Keane said. “He won’t be happy with Palmer making fun of him and he obviously went in there… it’s a nasty tackle. I don’t think he catches it correctly – it’s on the side of his leg… But if he was expelled, I would say there would be no complaints.
Neville added: “Lisandro Martinez is lucky. I think it’s a red.
Van Nistelrooy said he had no planned conversations with Amorim. United’s new head coach has confirmed he will bring his coaching staff from Sporting with him and that it is a “condition” for him to accept the job. It raises doubts about the future of Van Nistelrooy and other United coaches, but the Dutchman was coy about his own future.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know him better, he did very well in Portugal, he’s a talented young coach,” Van Nistelrooy said. “I haven’t spoken to him and at the moment, nothing is planned. I’m doing my job to prepare for the matches on Thursday and Sunday.
