Former Manchester United captain, Roy Keane says the Red Devils lacked quality and leadership, leaving him worried about the future of the club. Keane said the performance seen in the 1-0 loss against Arsenal could get Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked.
The Man United legend concluded that the team is nowhere near good enough after ending their four-game unbeaten streak that saw Marcus Rashford having a fulfilling week, and won the player of the month award.
In his summary of United’s dismal start to the campaign, Keane said United is building up this season as make-or-break for Ole as things are not looking good for him.
“I scratch my head at players who don’t have enthusiasm for a game of football.
“Sometimes you say ‘there’s no reason to panic’. But the results and performances suggest you should be panicking. He says they are good boys and want to win but I judge a player by actions. My eyes don’t lie to me. The last disappointment was just a few weeks ago against Spurs – this team reacts for a few weeks and get carried away with themselves.
“Ole will lose his job working with these players – that’s what is going to happen,” he told Sky Sports.
United occupies 15th spot on the Premier League table after six games of the new season, losing three games in the process, which all were at Old Trafford.
Lack of energy, enthusiasm from Manchester United against Arsenal – Roy Keane
He further expressed his worries on Man United, stating that they lacked the real energy and enthusiasm as Arsenal secured a deserved victory in a match the hosts were on target once throughout the entire duration.
“I am really, really worried about Manchester United now.
“Where do you want me to start? A lack of energy, of enthusiasm, and a real lack of quality. That really concerned me. No quality, no composure.
“Some of the performances were really poor. Have they turned a corner? It’s the longest corner ever. I am just not convinced by these players,” Keane added.
After struggling to sort out off-field problems, Harry Maguire failed to inspire his team as he carries the captain band. The England international appears to have lost concentration on the field and this team struggles whenever they fail to string one or two passes together.
All that is written over United’s performance has been inconsistency, except for the Champions League where they have 100 percent record. It is therefore hoped that this performance won’t affect them on Wednesday when they travel to Turkey to face Istanbul Buyuksehir in the third game of the Champions League. A win will put them on the brink of qualification for the knock out stage.
United will need to be miles better than the Turkish opposition, having failed to create a single goalscoring opportunity of note over the 90 minutes against the Gunners. Unfortunately, the partnership between Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood’s failed to fire.
It was surprising to see Paul Pogba, who conceded the penalty that guaranteed Arsenal three points, and Bruno Fernades failing to sparkle.
This means that Manchester United have more problems than solutions with their midfield balance, which remains a huge issue for the club.
Solksjaer had to revert back to a 4-2-3-1 at half-time after the diamond formation failed to work in the Champions League. All the Norwegian needs to do is to ensure that his formation works with the players in his squad.
With the likes of Nemanja Matic, Fred, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes, Donny Van de Beek and Paul Pogba in his squad, he should be able to get them into a system.
The midfield being the strength of any team needs to be strong for them to flourish.
