Keane blasts Manchester United

ROY KEANE has blasted Manchester United following their shock FA Cup exit to Middlesbrough, describing the Red Devils’ performance on as “not good enough”.

United failed to make the most of a whole host of glorious opportunities throughout 120 minutes of action at Old Trafford, with Matt Crooks’equaliser taking the Premier League giants to penalties with scores tied at 1-1.

The Championship outfit kept their cool from 12 yards, with all eight of their penalties put past Dean Henderson into the net at the Stretford End, before teenager Anthony Elanga fired over to seal United’s elimination from the competition.

And former United captain Keane has given a damning indictment of his old side’s display on Friday night, claiming that the Red Devils lacked the leadership to see off their second-tier opposition.

“Over the last couple of home matches they have only scored one goal and one obviously again tonight,” he said on ITV Sport.

“I was talking about Man United finding a way to win the game but what did they do, they found a way to lose the game. That’s not a good sign.

“You have to be critical of United. First half fantastic, but they are playing a Championship team. To lose to a Championship team at home in the Cup, it’s obviously not good enough.’’

United played with the dynamism not seen at Old Trafford in many years during an energetic first-half display but allowed Boro to grow in confidence in the second half. Keane insisted that simple game management would have allowed the Red Devils

to weather the storm and find a winner.

When asked by Mark Pougatch whether it’s impossible to play at full throttle for 90 minutes, Keane said:

“‘I think it is, but then that’s when you have team management.

“Of course, Middlesbrough were going to come with a bit of pressure in the second half, but you control it.

“Even with the goal they conceded, they were outnumbered, players weren’t getting back, and that’s where I go back to it, you need a bit of leadership, the character to go ‘Ok, we have dropped off for 10 or 15 minutes but we are still up against Middlesbrough, we will still slip back in and find a moment’.”

The Irishman also claimed that United lacked the leadership to take control of the game

Keane added that Friday night’s defeat adds more pressure to interim boss Ralf Rangnick

With United out of both domestic cups and with little chance of winning the Premier League, the club’s only hope of silverware this season is in the Champions League, where they are up against Europe’s strongest clubs.

Keane admitted that Friday night’s defeat ‘changes the mood’ at the club.

“Changes the mood, the mood in the ground tonight.

No doubt the fans will be leaving the ground . . . We were fully expecting them to beat a Championship team, Man United at home, but no.

“It adds more and more pressure for the upcoming games,’’ Keane said. —