Roy Keane despaired at Manchester United’s heavy defeat at Liverpool, while Gary Neville believes his former club are now at the lowest point he’s ever seen them.
The visitors were outclassed at Anfield, with a Mohamed Salah double and goals from Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz racking up a 4-0 win which, coupled with Liverpool’s destruction of United at Old Trafford in October, takes the aggregate score for the season between the sides to 9-0.
Those two fixtures have illustrated the huge gulf in quality between the two rivals and former United captain Keane – who won seven Premier League titles and a Champions League during his time there – was left overwhelmingly disappointed with the demise of his former club.
“It’s not anger, it was anger earlier in the season. It’s sadness,” he said.
“You look at the team today, there wasn’t any heart, no soul, no leaders, they lack real quality. They are so far off and you look at the United fans tonight… there’s no surprise with the scoreline, but Liverpool could score any time they went forward.
“There is disarray at the club from the top. The fans have no time for the owners. They need a new manager, they need players in, they need players out…
“It’s so sad to see. It’s not the club I played for. It doesn’t reflect what Man Utd stood for when I played for it. It’s chalk and cheese. I don’t see a Manchester United team out there fighting and playing with pride.
“There’s no hiding. At this level you get found out. It’s so sad watching this team.”
Keane was heavily critical of the attitude shown by the United players on Tuesday night, questioned their character and pointed to the fact several are out of contract in the summer.
“What Man Utd have always had in my experience of the club is brilliant characters, brilliant men, people you want to work with, people you want to be in the trenches with,” he said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Roy Keane claims there is no heart, no leaders and no quality left at Manchester United and suggests that it’s a different club to the one he used to play for.
“Robson, Bruce, Pallister, Beckham, Giggsy, Butty all these lads. Brilliant lads. We didn’t win every week but you’d look around before a game and think, ‘we’re going to give everything we have for this club’. That’s what we’d expect and hopefully our talent would get us over the line and we’d win the odd game.
“But this team isn’t even likeable, there’s no soul with this team. You don’t even warm to them. I know it’s difficult for players to do interviews but it’s very robotic, there’s no emotion.
“I’d love to know what’s going on at the training ground. What’s the culture with the players, the young players, who’s helping these lads along?
“I’ve never heard so many players wanting to leave Man Utd. When I was playing for them you were dreading that you might be sold or leave. Now everybody wants to get out of the door. They can’t get out quick enough.
“There’s six or seven – look at the Everton game a couple of weeks ago – they’ve already left the building. They’re gone. You can tell with their performances. They’re on their holidays, they’ve switched off. They don’t turn up, they lose 4-0, they’re shaking hands going down the tunnel, they’re doing the interviews with soundbites. You should be ashamed of your life. You should be hiding.”
Neville: I’ve never seen it as bad as that
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Gary Neville claims Manchester United’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League is as bad a performance from them as he has seen in 42 years
For Keane’s former team-mate Neville, United have hit a low he’s not previously witnessed.
“Man Utd were a million miles away from that Liverpool team in every department. On and off the pitch. It was a sobering evening,” he said.
“We expected it. Not one Man Utd fan came here with any hope whatsoever. That team has got nothing.
“There are some decent players out on that pitch and some talent. I cannot explain how it’s gone from what would be slightly promising at the end of last season finishing second – I know they lost in the Europa League final which was a bad one – to the point where we are today which is an all-time low in my 42 years of watching United. I’ve never seen it as bad as that.
“I’ve never seen a Man Utd team wilt and be as flaky in a game of football in my 40 years.”
Neville used the example of Hannibal Mejbri to illustrate his frustrations with this United team. The 19-year-old Tunisian was only sent on in the 84th minute and while he was caught in possession for the fourth goal, he also picked up a booking and made some strong tackles on Liverpool players – an approach, Neville said, which at least showed some fight.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Gary Neville claims that Manchester United are a ‘broken’ club with issues from top to bottom, including poor ownership, broken players, an outdated stadium and a second-rate training ground.
However, his overall assessment of the current team is that they’re “broken”.
“I erred on the unprofessional side on commentary when I said I was proud of him because he was going round trying to kick people,” said Neville. “But he demonstrated something, he showed us something: that he didn’t like the idea at Anfield of Liverpool passing around him. The idea of Liverpool taking the mickey out of him and his team-mates.
“At least he demonstrated something. I’m not saying it was brilliant that he was kicking Liverpool players and could have hurt them, but as a Man Utd fan, they can respond to that at least.
“The rest of them… there’s some of them out there who are probably good lads, good professionals, got good careers, good talent – but they’re broken. They’re finished and they’re done this season.”
Keane: Lingard not good enough, Rashford played like a child, Maguire display not acceptable
Harry Maguire reacts during Man Utd’s 4-0 defeat at Liverpool
Keane believes United need a major rebuild if they are to return to a competitive level.
In the meantime he said the performances of some of the current players were simply not anywhere near the required standard and argued the group lack the togetherness to make up for their shortcomings.
“There are some good individuals when they fancy it and turn up, but when the going gets tough or they’re under the cosh, they’re out of it,” he said.
“They haven’t got that team spirit you need. This Man Utd team is well short on talent anyway. We’ve been saying for the last few months, they’re not as talented as they think. So to then not to have the rest of it to try to back it up – fighting spirit, energy…
Across their two league games with Liverpool this season, Man Utd have let in nine goals and not scored one themselves
“We saw the midfield tonight, [Marcus] Rashford’s performance tonight, [Jesse] Lingard comes on to try to save Man Utd. Lingard should have left Man Utd two years ago! He’s not good enough for Man Utd.
“Rashford played like a child up front. OK he wasn’t getting service but the one or two bits he got in the first half, when you think ‘you’re in on goal’, a poor touch.
“Defensively, we were trying to help Harry Maguire out before the match, give him a little bit of PR. The last goal, Maguire’s passing and his defending… It’s not acceptable and not good enough for Man Utd.
“We’re going to have to use that word, we’re talking about a rebuilding job. Man Utd need to get players in who first of all are hopefully decent lads, good quality pros and talented to try to compete.
“Man Utd are now fifth or sixth in the league. Man Utd fifth or sixth in the league? Unbelievable.”