- United were twice pegged back by Tottenham in 2-2 draw at Old Trafford
- Erik ten Hag’s side have lost seven times on home turf already this season
- CHRIS SUTTON: Don’t wait! Sir Jim Ratcliffe must fire Erik ten Hag now – It’s All Kicking Off
Roy Keane believes Manchester United’s fear factor has vanished with opponents actively looking forward to visiting Old Trafford.
The former United skipper hasn’t held back in his criticism of Erik ten Hag’s side and was speaking after Tottenham twice came from behind to draw 2-2 there on Sunday.
United have already lost home games to Brighton, Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth in the Premier League, Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, and Galatasaray and Bayern Munich in the Champions League this season.
It represents a stark contrast from Keane’s days at the club, when sides came to Old Trafford expecting to come away with absolutely nothing.
‘They don’t really play as a team and I don’t know if they [the players] are taking on the manager’s ideas,’ Keane told the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
‘When you look at Manchester United, we say it every week, you don’t know what you are going to get.
‘I watched their game last week against Wigan Athletic [in the FA Cup] and you’re thinking, they’ll certainly dominate Wigan and score four, five goals and even then, they had to get a penalty to get over the line. They weren’t great in possession.
‘The other night, against Spurs, you look at the second goal, just one or two passes and it was a goal.
‘It’s as if they are not athletic enough – and I think there’s obviously an element of fear from the team. They go, ‘we are better sitting in.’
‘And there is nothing wrong with sitting in if you are doing brilliant going forward, but they are not scoring the goals to back that up.’
Keane added: ‘They are stuck between a rock and a hard place because again, you are Manchester United, the onus is even when you’re at home, flex your muscles, and more importantly put fear into opponents’ mindsets.
‘But teams are playing Manchester United now and there is no fear anymore. I think teams are going to Old Trafford now and enjoy it!’
Currently on their winter break from the Premier League, United return to action when they head to League Two side Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round on January 28.
They then face league fixtures against Wolves, West Ham and Aston Villa as they attempt to lift themselves from their current position of seventh in the table.
It came after Keane slammed fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp for heaping praise on Spurs after Sunday’s draw.
Keane admitted Tottenham were the better team on the day but reminded his fellow pundits that they had not won the match.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: ‘Everyone’s praising Tottenham but it was a draw, they didn’t win. They were missing big players, but so were Man United. When you’re a big team, you have to deal with these things.
‘They were the better team, but it was a draw. The staff got praised, the bus driver got praise, everybody got praise. It finished 2-2, everybody relax.’
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
