Former Manchester United legends have launched a scathing attack on Ralf Rangnick's men following their humiliating 4-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in their Premier League clash.
Former Manchester United legends have launched a scathing attack on Ralf Rangnick's men following their humiliating 4-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in their Premier League clash. It was a night of horror for the Red Devils as Tuesday's shocker came after a 5-0 loss at Old Trafford in October.
The Red Devils were outclassed with a Mohamed Salah double and goals from Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane, racking up a 4-0 win, which took Liverpool to the top of the league table. Liverpool moved to 76 points from 32 games, with title rivals Manchester City on 74 points from one game fewer. Pep Guardiola's side host Brighton and Hove Albion at the Etihad on Wednesday.
United dropped below Arsenal on goal difference, falling to sixth place on 54 points, having played two games more than the Gunners. And this has upset former club legends and football pundits, who have torn into the Ralf Rangnick side for their lacklustre performance.
Also read: 'Man United make our life easier': Liverpool's Salah adds insult to injury after 4-0 win
Former United captain Roy Keane, who won seven Premier League titles and a Champions League during his time at Old Trafford, was left overwhelmingly disappointed with his former club's show. "It's not anger. It was anger earlier in the season. It's sadness. You look at the team today. There wasn't any heart, no soul, no leaders. They lack real quality. They are so far off, and you look at the United fans tonight… there's no surprise with the scoreline, but Liverpool could score any time they went forward," he added.
"There is disarray at the club from the top. The fans have no time for the owners. They need a new manager, they need players in, they need players out. It's so sad to see. It's not the club I played for. It doesn't reflect what Man Utd stood for when I played for it. It's chalk and cheese. I don't see a Manchester United team out there fighting and playing with pride," Keane remarked.
Keane believes the Red Devils need a major overhaul if they are to return to a competitive level and added the performances of some of the current players were simply not anywhere near the required standard. "There are some good individuals when they fancy it and turn up, but when the going gets tough, or they're under the cosh, they're out of it," he said.
"We saw the midfield tonight, Rashford's performance tonight, Lingard comes on to try to save Man Utd. Lingard should have left Man Utd two years ago! He's not good enough for Man Utd. Rashford played like a child upfront. OK, he wasn't getting service, but the one or two bits he got in the first half, when you think 'you're in on goal', a poor touch," Keane added.
"Defensively, we were trying to help Harry Maguire out before the match, give him a little bit of PR. The last goal, Maguire's passing and his defending... It's not acceptable and not good enough for Man Utd. We're going to have to use that word, we're talking about a rebuilding job. Man Utd need to get players in who first of all are hopefully decent lads, good quality pros and talented to try to compete. Man Utd are now fifth or sixth in the league. Man Utd fifth or sixth in the league? Unbelievable," the former United legend concluded.
For Keane's former teammate Gary Neville, United have hit a low he's not previously witnessed. "Man Utd were a million miles away from that Liverpool team in every department. On and off the pitch. It was a sobering evening. We expected it. Not one Man Utd fan came here with any hope whatsoever. That team has got nothing. I've never seen a Man Utd team wilt and be as flaky in a game of football in my 40 years."
Meanwhile, another United legend, Paul Scholes, admitted that the extent of the current malaise at Old Trafford no longer has him angry and instead leaves him sad at what has become an "unrecognisable club".
"I've lost a little bit of anger towards it now, I feel saddened, it's not great to watch," Scholes told Premier League Productions.
"They lack belief, they lack a way of playing. I'd like to see them give at least a little bit of effort, it looks like the last place they want to see. They want their season over, they want it done, they want to move on, but unfortunately there's no hiding place. You can't come to Anfield and be like that. Them fans have travelled a long way, it's disgusting to watch. But that's where the club are at the minute. They've got to give a little bit of effort, just for the fans coming to the ground," the former United midfielder added.
Scholes also remarked that everyone at the club needs to get behind incoming manager Erik ten Hag and give him the resources to transform their fortunes completely. "Finish 8th and give this man what he needs…saddened by what's happening, an unrecognisable football club," Scholes said.
Tottenham Hotspur currently occupies the fourth spot with 57 points. Although United remains in the race to qualify for next year's Champions League, nothing in their performance indicated they stand a chance to make it to Europe's elite competition next season.
