Veteran broadcaster Richard Keys has savaged Manchester United in the wake of their 7-0 collapse against Liverpool.
Writing in his latest blog post, Keys took aim at the Old Trafford club with the sort of venom that he usually reserves for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
Fans of the Red Devils were daring to dream of an unprecedented quadruple after beating Newcastle in the EFL Cup final at the end of last month.
However, following their defeat, Keys chose to title his blog post: ‘Quadruple? You’re having a laugh!’
“They [United] are NOT the real deal. They’ve been getting away with a lot recently. Read last week’s blog when I said that they hadn’t played well at Wembley. Their best players were defenders. If Newcastle had scored in a very good opening 30 minutes they could’ve easily won that game.
“It’s been heartening to see Rashford back in form, but his goals have been papering over cracks. There is no question that ‘Seven Hag’ (I know, but it’s funny) has been making progress, but it’s been nowhere near as much as has been hyped. Talk of quadruples was nonsense. Absolute nonsense.”
Keys then went on to take a pointed swipe at Erik ten Hag, arguing that the boss doesn’t take enough responsibility when things go wrong at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
Keys: ‘It’s always somebody else fault with Ten Hag’
“A quick word on the manager. He strikes me as very keen to take credit when things go well, but it’s always somebody else’s fault when they don’t. This time his players were ‘unprofessional’ and ‘didn’t stick to the plan’. In other words – don’t blame me guv’.
“I’d have rather heard him say ‘it’s a one-off. It won’t happen again and it certainly won’t spoil the work that we’ve all been doing’. That would’ve been enough. Take it on the chin as a collective. He’s the one complaining that United ‘didn’t stick together’ but he’s distancing himself from it. After all, it’s his decision to keep playing Wout Weghorst…”
Richard Keys calls Weghorst ‘worst United player ever’
To say that Keys isn’t a fan of the on-loan Burnley striker would be an understatement as the BeIN Sports host branded the Dutch striker ‘the worst player I’ve ever seen in a United shirt’.
“It’s not Weghorst’s fault,” reasoned Keys, but he has to be the worst player I’ve ever seen in a United jersey. He’s a bang ordinary No.9, who couldn’t get in a struggling Burnley team.
“Come on. It’s a joke and the manager has got to give up pretending that Weghorst has got something to offer. He’s not a ‘pressing monster’. He doesn’t ‘make runs’ because he can’t run. And he doesn’t score goals. You can’t start him – push Fernandes left and leave £80m Sancho on the bench. Too clever Erik. Far too clever.”
In fairness to Weghorst, he has endeared himself to United fans with his impressive workrate and commitment to the Red Devils’ cause.
Despite those qualities, the fact remains that Weghorst has found the back of the net just once in his first 14 games for the club. While he’s far from the worst to ever play for United, it’s hardly a sparkling return.
United will need to make a decision on whether to sign the imposing frontman permanently when his loan deal expires at the end of the season.
Keys has left little doubt about what he’d do in United’s shoes after his brutal review of the player.
