Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

Roy Keane annihilates six Man Utd stars after Liverpool thumping, claiming ‘the circus is back in town’

Roy Keane Sky Sports pundit at Wembley ahead of Carabao Cup final

Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane

Roy Keane could not hide his rage after Manchester United were destroyed 7-0 by Liverpool, naming six Red Devils stars who should “go into hiding” after the Anfield debacle.

United have made great strides under Erik ten Hag this season and went into Sunday’s match in high spirits. Indeed, having won the Carabao Cup last weekend and reached the FA Cup quarter-finals in midweek, United are in a buoyant mood.

And looking for a win to rubberstamp their position in the top three, United made a good start at Anfield. However, Cody Gakpo’s excellent opener just before half-time changed the course of the match dramatically. And what was to follow after half-time caught everyone by surprise – including a stunned Gary Neville, who labelled one player embarrassing.

Liverpool cut through United’s defence time and again with Gakpo claiming a second, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez netting two apiece and Roberto Firmino stepping off the bench to score their seventh.

It was a thoroughly-sobering display for Ten Hag’s side. It also condemned Manchester United to the joint-heaviest defeat in their history and worst since 1931.

Ten Hag has made great strides since taking over as manager last summer. But even he was quick to condemn his players after their woeful performance.

Keane, meanwhile, did not hold back in his analysis for Sky Sports as United’s 11-game unbeaten run was annihilated.

And the Irishman named six Man Utd stars he feels need to go into hiding after shambolic displays.

READ MORE: Ten Hag raging after ‘unprofessional’ Man Utd are thrashed 7-0 by Liverpool at Anfield

Keane takes aim at Bruno Fernandes and five other Man Utd stars

With Bruno Fernandes taking the brunt, Keane was also unhappy at senior stars Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, David De Gea and Casemiro.

“Thank god I’ve never been part of a team that’s been beaten by that much playing for Manchester United,” Keane told Sky Sports. “Again, the senior players for Man United will be – the big players, the ones we give the big build up to, the experiences players – they’re the ones who have really let the club down today.

“I always imagined if you got beat in a game like this six or seven nil you’d go into hiding. As a player you’d go into hiding for a few days. I think I’d go missing for a few months, it really is that embarrassing. But that’s the game, they’ve got to bounce back, they’ve got a big European game coming up.

“I never thought United were back to their very best. They’ve had some very good results and I’ve been saying recently that United have been giving teams chances, even over the last few weeks.

“Leicester at home, they probably should have been 2-0 up at Old Trafford. West Ham should have been 2-0 up too. So they’ve been giving teams chances and teams have let them off the hook.

“The chances they gave up today, Liverpool punished them and that’s where they deserve credit. They created opportunities, they were clinical, they were ruthless, and what I admired about Liverpool was they kept going towards the end for more goals.”

Telling the club some more home truths, Keane insists this team is far from good enough yet.

And he is warning them to buck their ideas up if their good work so far this season is to not go to waste.

Pundit claims Man Utd players belief their own hype

“The thing I’m always wary of with Man United. They won the cup last week, a lot of celebration and of course I’d never begrudge a team of that. But they turned up against West Ham, I’m at the game, and the circus is back in town at Man United.

Keane added: “I was always wary of that as a player there. Keeping an eye on people, don’t get carried away because you know what this game can do to you.

“I see the players come here today in the second half, having a laugh and a joke. They’re 1-0 down at Anfield and they’re having laugh and a joke with the Anfield staff, goalkeeping coach. I don’t like to see all that rubbish.

“I think that circus can creep back in. The manager and senior players have to keep an eye on that. It was the same against West Ham the other night: A lot of presentations, celebrations. I understand one or two – but not four or five.

“West Ham [in the midweek FA Cup tie] let them off the hook, because they are not good enough.

“Today at half-time, there were players walking down the tunnel having a laugh and a joke. You’re 1-0 down at Anfield, this is a serious business.

“This is big boy stuff and forget all of this laughing and joking rubbish. And in the second half where there are some players throwing the towel in. You don’t expect them to be laughing at the end of the game.”

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