Manchester United have had an incredibly disappointing start to the season, and pressure is starting to mount on Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag has led the 13-time Premier League champions to their worst-ever start in the competition as they sit 14th in the table with just eight points from seven matches.
Manchester United legend Roy Keane has claimed that he’s ‘given up’ on the club as he questioned the ‘culture’ at the club amid their struggling form.
Speaking on Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet, he said: “After the Twente game. A really poor game. When you’ve got players coming out and saying ‘I think they might have wanted it more than us’. I kind of gave up at that stage.
“If that’s the noises coming out of the dressing room, then no wonder the manager is in trouble and no wonder they’re not going to win football matches. But that’s where United are – it’s hit and miss.
“They will win a few games but they’re going to lose plenty. I’m not sure there is a team there. I’d love to know what the culture is like at the training ground, who’s putting demands on each other, who’s pushing each other, who’s helping the younger players.
“Are the senior players proper and wanting to get the job done against FC Twente instead of coming out and saying they wanted it more.”
Ten Hag chose to start Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans at center-back instead of Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt for their most recent draw against Aston Villa.
Speaking on that decision, Keane said: “You can’t keep going back to the lads who are part of the problem. But if you think Maguire is the answer… The new lads need a chance.
“Build up relationships. Get used to each other. He’s taken them off during games and he’s pretty stubborn. You have to be like that amanagerger.”
Keane played for Manchester United for 13 years, winning seven league trophies as the Red Devils dominated the Premier League in its early years.
When comparing the United he was a member of to the modern United side under Ten Hag, he argued that the Red Devils ‘had gone backwards’.
He continued: “United was always about good people and good characters who could deal with playing for the club, but I don’t see that now. I don’t recognise this team and I don’t recognise the club.
“People a couple of months ago were saying they’ve got new people coming on board and they’ll have all the answers. They’ve spent more money on recruitment but they’ve gone backwards.
“When we discuss United, it’s more like a business but it’s a football club.
“A football club is about the people who turn up and put a shift in. What I see at United, might be a bit harsh, I’m not sure I’m seeing good football people in there making the right decisions for the club.”
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli