Roy Keane slams 'very average' Manchester United after 3-0 defeat to City

Roy Keane issued a blistering assessment of Manchester United after their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, calling the team "very average" and accusing players of being soft and lacking signs of improvement under manager Ruben Amorim.

Erling Haaland scored twice in the second half to add to Phil Foden's first-half header as City ran out comfortable winners. The result left United with one win from their opening four Premier League fixtures, having already lost to Arsenal and drawn at Fulham. Their early-season form has been compounded by an embarrassing Carabao Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby Town.

Keane, speaking on Sky Sports, criticised both individual performances and the collective output of the team. "They are just a very average team in this Premier League," he said. "There are no signs that things are getting better for them. This United team lack that real quality. They struggle defensively."

The former United midfielder directed particular ire at full-back Luke Shaw, saying the defender had been "getting away with murder for years" and singling him out for being culpable in all three goals. Keane said Shaw's positioning and decision-making were unacceptable for an international player. He also took aim at Bruno Fernandes and others for a perceived lack of physicality, noting: "Not one yellow card! The Manchester derby, it's raining and set up for a few tackles. United walk off the pitch! I am sick of repeating myself. It's a derby game. You shouldn't be able to get out of bed for a week, not one yellow card! Try tackling. Try hitting somebody. Football is a physical game."

Keane pointed to United's defensive struggles and the club's results, saying they echoed issues from last season. He referenced the club's spending and the arrival of a new manager, but said those factors had not yet produced on-field improvement. "For all the money Man Utd have spent, and they have had a new manager coming in who needs time to settle in, needs a pre-season, needs his own players — they are just a very average team in this Premier League," Keane added.

Amorim, who took charge after a season the club described as their worst top-flight campaign on record, has previously said that new signings and a pre-season would lead to improvement. After the City defeat he reiterated he would not change his system or philosophy despite mounting pressure, insisting he will "stick to his guns" as he seeks to implement his ideas across the squad.

United's early-season return includes one league win, the 1-0 victory at home to newly promoted Burnley via a stoppage-time penalty, a draw at Fulham and defeats to Arsenal and City. The combination of poor league form and the cup exit to Grimsby has intensified scrutiny of the squad and management.

Keane said the problems were not just tactical but also involved a lack of commitment in duels and defensive organisation. "As soon as the game starts you are worried but you get that feeling against any decent team," he said. "They have scored four goals and two of them were penalties. So they are not a free-scoring team. It is almost the same problems as last year."

The criticism from one of the club's most prominent former players leaves United facing continued questions over personnel, approach and results as the season progresses. Amorim and his coaching staff must now prepare the squad to respond on the pitch while managing expectations at a club still rebuilding after a difficult previous campaign.