Roy Keane says feel-good factor is back after letting energy-sapping players leave Man Utd

Roy Keane has called the players Manchester United have released from the club ‘energy drainers’ and praised Erik ten Hag for bringing back the feel-good factor at Old Trafford.

United confirmed their place in the Carabao Cup final by beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 on the night and 5-0 over the two legs, to see Ten Hag lead the club to a grand final in his first season as manager.

The Dutchman’s reign got off to a troubled start and had to deal with the Cristiano Ronaldo saga, but now there seems to be a renewed vigor at the club and among the current generation of players.

Speaking after the win, former United captain Keane believes the positivity comes from seeing a number of high-profile names leave the club and allowing Ten Hag to make his mark on the team.

Roy Keane says Erik ten Hag has brought the feel-good factor back to the club after a poor start

Ten Hag celebrates reaching the Carabao Cup final in his first season in charge of Old Trafford

“When the manager came in, United were at the bottom and we had to talk about signing, but what I think was also key was the five or six players that left.” He said sky sports.

“I’m not going to criticize all these players, Pobga, Mata, Matic, Jesse Lingard, guys who had been around and knew they were leaving. They knew they were leaving and their contracts were up for most of them and I think that wasn’t helping.

You definitely feel a new energy at the club, the new manager has left some markers after a poor start to the season, and that drive and feel-good factor is back at the club. The energy levels are different.

One name Keane did not initially tag in that group of former United stars was Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the club in December following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan.

However, when asked if the Portuguese star was another example of the players Keane was referring to, he didn’t hesitate to add his name to the list.

“I think that helped (Ronaldo’s departure) the coach and the club.” Keane added.

“Nobody wanted that to hang around for the second half of the season and it should have been fixed in the summer.” That whole Ronaldo situation, obviously he wasn’t going to sit on the bench and be happy with it.

Keane says some of United’s players last season were not good for club morale

Juan Mata and Nemanjia Vidic weren’t good enough as fringe players in Roy Keane’s opinion

They’ve already taken care of that and now it’s looming over the club. But also the other five or six boys who left, another Cavani. Those who were marginal players, who came from the bench, and when they entered they didn’t bring anything because they felt they should have been starters.

Those subs and fringe players have to come in and be ready, whereas the fringe players last year, you just felt like they were draining energy.

Of the names Keane mentioned, Pogba returned to Juventus but has yet to make a single appearance for the club following injury, Lingard moved to Nottingham Forest and has struggled, while Mata is currently in Turkey with Galatasaray. .

Only Nemanja Matic, with José Mourinho’s Roma, and Edison Cavani – who has scored seven goals for Valencia this season – have enjoyed any measure of success since leaving Manchester.

It was the United team that beat them against Nottingham Forest and confirmed their place in the Carabao Cup final.

Second-half goals from substitute Anthony Martial and then from Fred, assisted by another substitute in Marcus Rashford, saw the Red Devils earn their ticket to Wembley, where they will face Newcastle United at the end of the month.

Goals from Anthony Martial and Fred beat Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night