- Man United squandered a 3-0 lead against Coventry before winning on penalties
- Red Devil legend Roy Keane has hit out at the manager and players
- Phil Foden reveals what it’s REALLY like to play for Pep Guardiola in an It’s All Kicking Off special. Listen on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Roy Keane has insisted he ‘could never forgive himself’ as a Manchester United player in an angry rant about his former team after they were embarrassed by Coventry in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final.
United narrowly edged past the Championship team on penalties after blowing a three-goal lead in the second half and almost exited the competition in the final moments of extra time before a late Coventry goal was disallowed for offside.
Despite reaching their second successive FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City next month, the Red Devils have come under heavy criticism from pundits and fans since Sunday’s clash at Wembley, with Erik ten Hag’s future as manager hanging by a thread .
Keane, who criticized the club during and after the match while on pundit duty, questions whether the players and manager can recover mentally after such a humiliating match on Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky bet.
‘Would you ever recover from that? Seriously, as a player or as a manager? You are Man United, playing against a Championship side and are 3-0 up. You would never forgive yourself,” he told his former Red Devils teammate Gary Neville.
Roy Keane claims he ‘could never forgive himself’ if he were a Manchester United player after his former club’s humiliating defeat to Coventry in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday
United squandered a 3-0 lead against the Championship club, but won on penalties
Coventry almost won the match in the final moments of extra time – before VAR saved United
Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag is now firmly on the chopping block for the summer
‘There are matches that we look back on now. We talk about bottle jobs and competitions that we think we should have won. These are the games that keep you awake at night. You could never forgive yourself for a 3-0 lead.’
“It would have been four weeks of public destruction,” Neville said. ‘The stadiums would have been quite toxic. The criticism and scrutiny of the manager would have been terrible. It will still be big, but I was relieved.”
Keane added: ‘I think Ten Hag could have intervened on the players after the match, not focused on individuals, but said: “That was unacceptable. This is Man United, we have to do better than that. When we are 3-0 up.” “We have to finish the match.”
Ex-England star Alan Shearer suggested last weekend that United’s new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS had ‘already made a decision’ on Ten Hag’s future and suggested the Dutchman would be sacked regardless of whether the club leaves the FA Cup wins or not.
The United boss came out during Tuesday’s press conference and called the reaction to his side’s victory ’embarrassing’ and ‘a disgrace’.
Keane hopes the players – who twice came from behind to beat bottom-placed Sheffield United 4-2 on Wednesday – are a reflection of the fight Ten Hag has shown to the media between now and the end of the season .
He said: ‘The only thing I would say about him is that he has come out with a bit of a fight. I do not mind. The man is entitled to his opinion, but I look at it and I hope your team fights like you are right now.
“It may be too little too late, but it’s nice to see it. Your team didn’t show enough fight at the end when they were under the cosh.’
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (right), co-owner of the New Reds Devils, watched United’s horror show at Wembley
Keane insists Ten Hag must ‘get a grip’ on the players after such an ‘unacceptable’ collapse
Keane also urged Ten Hag to show more personality by ‘getting a grip’ on the players during Manchester United’s difficult moments, insisting he wants to see ‘a bit of madness’.
‘Do I think he is a good coach? Yes. Do I think he gives good coaching sessions? I’m sure, of course he is. But recently, when it became 3-1, 3-2, I wanted to see a bit of madness,” he said.
‘I want a manager to get a grip on people on the sidelines. When people make statements or go on Twitter, try to get at the guys – that’s unacceptable.
“It’s not necessarily about throwing people under the bus. There is more to coaching. The great coaches and managers have personalities. And they didn’t let that happen.”
Roy Keane and Gary Neville spoke on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky bet.