Former player Roy Keane has called out Manchester United strikers Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund after their Premier League clash against Manchester City on Sunday (April 6). The derby at Old Trafford ended in a goalless draw after a rather uneventful 90 minutes. United failed to pose a serious attacking threat, something they’ve struggled with this season.
Ruben Amorim’s side have scored just 37 goals in 31 league games this term, and their two main men up top have sparsely contributed. Zirkzee and Hojlund have just 14 goals between them across competitions, six of them coming in the Premier League.
Keane has called for major changes in the striker department at Manchester United. Speaking on Sky Sports after the City draw, the pundit said (via Metro):
“Manchester United can still be more of a goal threat. The couple of strikers United have at the club are not good enough for United, but there are other players on the team.”
“There are wide players, defenders can score goals, there are set pieces. The goal they have away at Forest the other day, you have an opposition player running 70 or 80 yards. Yes you can say it’s a great run and great goal – but someone’s got to tackle him. Have a desire to dig deep and get a result! It has to come from the manager and the staff, the certain leaders they have in the dressing room,” he added.
The Red Devils will next face Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday night (April 10).
“A draw gets you nowhere fast” – Roy Keane on Manchester United’s draw against Man City
Roy Keane has slammed Manchester United for being satisfied with a draw against Manchester City.
The Red Devils are currently 13th on the Premier League table, displaying poor form under Amorim this season. They are 15 points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea.
Keane cannot believe United are struggling to compete against the likes of Brentford, Crystal Palace, and Fulham, who are all placed above United in the table.
In the same interview, he said:
“I see the United team today. They’re all applauding and they’re being interviewed and they said: ‘draw is not too bad.’ A draw gets you nowhere fast! I know United beat Leicester and Real Sociedad – but you look at the last few games and you go: this is not enough, this is not good enough.”
He added:
“Forget the United teams I played for, forget the top three or four teams, competing with Brentford, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Wolves? Are you telling me Manchester United should be behind them? The majority of these players should be doing better than the teams I just mentioned.”
Edited by Parag Jain