“I don’t have sympathy.”
Roy Keane pinpointed where Manchester United went wrong in their crushing 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday at Old Trafford.
Luis Diaz (2) and Mohamed Salah scored the goals for Arne Slot’s side in what turned into an easy afternoon for the Reds.
The Premier League encounter was settled by half-time as Liverpool continued their perfect start under Slot.
Meanwhile, from front to back, Man United were beset by issues in the heavy defeat.
Andre Onana was arguably suspect for all three Liverpool goals, especially for Mohamed Salah’s strike in the second half when the United goalkeeper was beaten to his bottom left.
Joshua Zirkee looked lost and Man United’s midfielders had a terrible day against their bitter rivals.
Casemiro, in particular, had one of the worst games of his career and was directly at fault for two Liverpool goals before he was taken off at half-time.
Keane, speaking on Sky Sports, pointed out the flaw in United’s approach that went beyond individual errors.
The former Red Devils captain noted how the team’s full-backs – Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui – were out of position for all three of Liverpool’s goals.
Keane said that the pair were too willing to run forward and leave an ocean of space behind them.
The Irishman said that they should not run forward until a United midfielder had received the ball and turned to face the opposition goal.
Yet, for all three goals, Liverpool dispossessed a United midfielder, and the full-backs were out of position.
“I don’t have sympathy for Casemiro and Mainoo as at this level, you expect them to do better,” said Keane, who also noted that, in his all-conquering United team, the full-backs Gary Neville and Denis Irwin did not leave their central defenders as exposed.
“One mistake still 40 yards out, it should be as simple as one pass and then the opposition are in on goal.
“Mainoo has had a brilliant few months, but the two full-backs are so far forward. The two are out of the picture for Salah’s goal.”
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher agreed with Keane and said that the combination of United’s weak midfield, over-eager full-backs and overexposed central defenders was fatal for Ten Hag’s team.
“It’s more or less the same players for Manchester United so we’re seeing the same things. The full-backs are really high and in Casemiro and De Ligt, they are not the quickest,” Carragher said.
“It wasn’t for me so much about the high pressing, but Manchester United in possession in those deep areas was absolutely terrible,” Neville said.
“They are individual errors in terrible areas. When I played at United with Denis Irwin, we would leave our two centre-backs on the ball, with Paul Scholes and Roy Keane… if they gave the ball away we’d be in a bit of trouble, but they didn’t do it that often.”
Carragher went one step further than his Sky Sports colleagues and pinned the blame on Ten Hag for United’s disorganisation and poor performances.
“It was awful from Onana for Salah’s goal but going back to United’s plan when they get the ball… I don’t really think there is one,” the former Liverpool defender said.
“It’s all a bit individual. In three games of Arne Slot, I can already see two or three things with the midfielders.
“One is when they give it to Mac Allister, there’s a pattern of play where he plays it first time. He did it three times today and that’s something you’ve worked on.
“We’re into the third year of Ten Hag, and we still can’t see what they do in certain situations.”
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