Manchester United club legend Roy Keane is not a big believer in Erik ten Hag. He just doesn’t see things working out for the Dutchman at his old club. Following today’s 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic, in the FA Cup third round, Keane was extremely unimpressed by what he saw, and he doesn’t believe Ten Hag is long for his current gig.
While doing pundit work for ITV, Keane was asked if he could see what Ten Hag was trying to build at Old Trafford.
“No, not really,” he answered.
“I think that’s the problem with United, you know what you’re going to get when you turn up.
“The manager there mentions the ‘project’ – it probably means he’ll be gone in the next few months. This dreaded word ‘project’. No, I didn’t see it tonight with United and I’ve not seen it for the last few months. But, again, they’re in the next round and it’s an easy draw the next time round, but you need a better level of performance.
“And the chances they made tonight, you always expect more.”
Well, that was a very blunt assessment, to say the least. But then again, it’s what we know and love about Roy Keane, isn’t it? The former Ireland international also had some tough words for describing today’s showing from striker Rasmus Hojlund.
There are a lot of reasons for United’s struggles this season, but topping the list is a failure to score goals. Blame lies all around, of course, but you can start the finger pointing with the £72 million striker. Once again the Danish international failed to finish off chances, and Roy Keane called him out for it.
“We wanted United to show a side of their game tonight,” Keane continued.
We wanted United to show a side of their game tonight, they’ve brought their habits from the Premier League into tonight in terms of missing chances, not being clinical. I want to see that side of United tonight.
“The striker is missing chances, we can say ‘unlucky’ all day, but they’re great opportunities. Put the ball in the back of the net, stop messing about.”
United will next take on Tottenham Hotspur, in a Premier League fixture, on Sunday.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.