Following Manchester United’s 7-0 thrashing by Liverpool, Erik ten Hag called his team “really unprofessional,” but Richard Keys has blamed the Dutchman
Richard Keys has launched into a rant about Erik ten Hag, insisting that he has been overhyped and was to blame for Manchester United’s abject capitulation against Liverpool.
United were hammered 7-0 by Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday evening in a result which sent shockwaves through the Premier League. The record defeat came on the back of an 11-game unbeaten run which involved United winning their first trophy for six years.
After the drubbing on Merseyside, Ten Hag said his players had been “геаlly unprofessional” in the second half. But disgraced former Sky Sports anchor Keys has pointed the finger at the United manager, claiming his side have been “getting away with a lot recently” thanks to Marcus Rashford’s fantastic goal scoring form.
Keys previously branded Ten Hag, “Ten Months”, but the Dutchman has successfully passed that milestone, so he has changed the nickname to “Seven Hag”, in reference to the embarrassing scoreline.
The beIN SPORTS presenter wrote of Ten Hag in his blog: “He strikes me as very keen to take credit when things go well, but it’s always somebody else’s fault when they don’t. This time his players were ‘unprofessional’ and ‘didn’t stick to the plan’. In other words – don’t blame me guv’.
“I’d have rather heard him ꜱay ‘it’s a one-off. It won’t happen again and it certainly won’t spoil the work that we’ve all been doing’. That would’ve been enough. Take it on the chin as a collective. He’s the one complaining that United ‘didn’t stick together’ but he’s distancing himself from it.”
Erik ten Hag was critical of his players after the defeat by Liverpool
Keys does begrudgingly accept that United have been “making progress” in recent months, but he claims Ten Hag’s game plan is simply “sitting and waiting to mug the opposition with Rashford’s pace”. He holds special criticism for Ten Hag’s use of Wout Weghorst, who has contributed just one goal in 14 appearances since joining on loan from Burnley in January.
Keys slams the Netherlands international as “the worst player I’ve ever seen in a United jersey” and claims his use as a No.10 in recent matches is Ten Hag trying to be “too clever”.
Wout Weghorst has struggled to make an impact at Manchester United
He wrote: “It’s a joke and the manager has got to give up pretending that Weghorst has got something to offer. He’s not a ‘pressing monster’. He doesn’t ‘make runs’ because he can’t run. And he doesn’t score goals.”
Despite Keys’ anguish, United are still in contention to win a quadruple this season, even if that seems extremely unlikely. They are third in the Premier League, 14 points behind Arsenal, and in the last 16 of the Europa League and the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
They will face геаl Betis in the first leg of their Europa League knockout tie on Thursday at Old Trafford before hosting struggling Southampton on Sunday in the Premier League.
Fernandes captaincy at Man United questioned after frustrated display
Bruno Fernandes, who has 57 goals in 166 games for the club in all competitions, is the current captain in the absence of Harry Maguire
Bruno Fernandes’ antics at Anfield have been met with criticism, with some former players ꜱaying the Portuguese international should lose the captaincy for his petulant performance in Manchester United’s 7-0 drubbing by Liverpool on Sunday.
Fernandes, who has 57 goals in 166 games for the club in all competitions, is the current captain in the absence of Harry Maguire but showed his frustration on numerous occasions during United’s heaviest defeat ever in the Premier League.
“There are people that are far better qualified to be captain,” former striker Chris Sutton, who won the league title with Blackburn Rovers in 1995, told the BBC on Monday.
“Fernandes is not their best leader. I think he should never put on the armband again for Manchester United.”
In a team meltdown that United coach Erik ten Hag called “unprofessional” and “a surprise”, the body language of Fernandes stood out as perhaps the worst. On one play, the 28-year-old let Liverpool’s Stefan Bajcetic breeze past, raising his hands in an exasperated gesture rather than giving chase.
Sutton called it a “standout moment”.
“However bad United were, you cannot just let someone run away from you and give up. That’s what the captain of Manchester United did – and that’s a bad look.
“I don’t think he has any геаl arguments if he does get stripped of the captaincy,” he added. “I think Bruno’s days have to be numbered.”
Former United captain Roy Keane called the senior players “embarrassing,” and said they lacked any leadership skills. “When the going got tough, they went missing,” Keane said.
Match pundit and former United skipper Gary Neville called Fernandes a “disgrace” and “embarrassing at times” on Sky Sports.
Another second-half moment that rankled some was when Fernandes went down clutching his face in a ɗгamatic display of раιn, while replays showed a trailing hand from Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate had actually grazed his chest.
The Portuguese also appeared to nudge the linesman in the 81st minute.
Maguire, who has spent much of the season on the bench with ιnjᴜry, could leave Old Trafford in the close season, meaning the captain’s armband will be up for grabs.
United arrived at Anfield on an 11-game unbeaten streak and days removed from beating Newcastle United in the League Cup final and securing a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a victory over West Ham United.
Sunday’s loss – United’s worst in the top flight since 1931 – all but extinguished the team’s title hopes, throwing cold water on talk of sweeping all four trophies up for grabs.
They have little time to dust themselves off before hosting геаl Betis in the Europa League last 16 first leg on Thursday.
United forward Alejandro Garnacho vowed his team will show up to play.
“We are so sorry,” the 18-year-old said on Twitter. “We will give you a reaction on Thursday, Reds.” — Reuters