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Manchester United legend Roy Keane was far from pleased with how his former side played in the second half of their 2-2 draw at Aston Villa on Saturday. The Red Devils' weaknesses were on full display, according to the former Republic of Ireland international.
Keane told Sky Sports he assumed United would control the game and guide it to victory. Bruno Fernandes scored two goals on the day to put United up 2-0, but they couldn't hold on to the lead. Aston Villa rallied back late in the second half to level the game, with the introduction of new signing Philippe Coutinho adding a spark to their attack.
The Brazilian first set up Jacob Ramsey in the 77th minute and then scored four minutes later to deny the Red Devils three points. Keane claimed a lack of control in midfield and a poor game from Edinson Cavani helped Villa secure a comeback. He said:
"United get 2-0 in front, you're thinking it's game over. But then we saw I suppose the weaknesses of United, that lack of control, particularly in midfield. To give away a couple of goals will be disappointing but overall you couldn't begrudge Villa the draw."
He added:
"They showed a lot of bravery in the second half. When you open yourself up against United, you're thinking they could rip you apart. But United weren't quite at it in terms of the counter attack. I thought Cavani was poor and surprised he left him on for the full game. Just about maybe a fair result."
Manchester United remain in seventh place in the league standings and are now five points off fourth-placed West Ham United, albeit with a game in hand. The Red Devils will now face a real uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League next season.
The result will be particularly hard to take for the Red Devils, with the equalizer coming from the boot of former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho. The midfielder made a scoring return to English football and will be hoping to rehabilitate his career at Villa under his former teammate Steven Gerrard.
Trouble continues to brew in Manchester United's dressing room: Reports
According to claims by reporter Duncan Castles via Express, senior players within Manchester United are unhappy with three younger players within the first team squad. Castles claims that Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho have upset some of their older teammates with poor performances.
The reporter also connected the issue to Cristiano Ronaldo's exclusive interview with Sky Sports. The star advised his teammates to improve their mentality in the interview and talked about his aspirations with United.
Castles also noted that the young trio are reportedly seen as part of the reason for the club's sub-par showing on the field. He said:
"Individuals such as Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, even Marcus Rashford had been mentioned to me as players who senior players felt were not putting much into following the coaching instructions, putting as much effort on the pitch as they should be."
