Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has criticised Fred and Scott McTominay for their performance on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils kicked off their 2022-2023 campaign with a disappointing loss to Brighton at Old Trafford after Pascal Gross scored twice for the Seagulls.
Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has criticised the club after Sunday’s result
Keane pointed the finger at Fred and McTominay, claiming the midfield duo would never been ‘good enough’ to get ‘United back competing at the top’.
United went 1-0 down in the first 30 minutes of the game after Gross found the back of the net. The German midfielder then added another just nine minutes later.
Keane was furious with the result after the game and blamed United’s lack of quality in the middle of the park for their devastating loss.
Speaking after the fixture, he said that Fred and McTominay would never be ‘good enough’ to get the Red Devils ‘back competing at the top’ of the Premier League.
The Sky Sports pundit stated: ‘The [lack of] decision-making and football intelligence from midfield, particularly Fred.
‘I’ve been going on about it for a long time – Fred and [Scott] McTominay are not good enough.
‘They won’t get Manchester United back competing at the top. We see it week in, week out. They’re not up to it.’
Paul Scholes was also quick to criticise the midfield duo and called United’s performance against Brighton shambolic.
Erik ten Hag’s side kicked off their 2022-2023 campaign with a disappointing loss to Brighton at Old Trafford after Pascal Gross scored twice for the Seagulls
Keane said Fred lacked football intelligence and that he and Scott McTominay would never be good enough to get United back competing at the top
‘It was a shocking start for Man United and the first half was shambolic really, Scholes told Premier League productions. ‘The signs were there right from the first few minutes that this was going to be bad.
‘McTominay was always trying to run with the ball, ridiculous. The quality in the middle of the pitch was really poor.
‘I was happy he didn’t get sent off [for a high challenge] but I think he was slightly lucky. Again, he’s running with the ball, absolutely ridiculous.
‘It could easily have been a red card. The quality in the middle of the pitch was nowhere near good enough but we’ve seen that for the last few years with these two players.
Paul Scholes was also quick to criticise the midfield duo and call United’s performance against Brighton shambolic
‘With Fred and McTominay, he [Ten Hag] is going to have to go with just one of them but even one of them is probably too many.
‘Fred gives the ball away all the time and McTominay’s trying to run with the ball constantly and then gives it away. Pass it to your best players! It’s not that difficult. It’s criminal on a day like today.’
The midfielder duo were also savaged by Robbie Mustoe – who said that the club had not brought in enough quality this summer.
At halftime the pundit blamed the Red Devils’ poor transfer window for their dreadful performance.
NBC pundit Robbie Mustoe blamed the Red Devils’ transfer window for their dreadful display
He said McTominay and Fred are ‘nowhere near good enough’ to play for Man United
‘I’ll keep this short and simple,’ Mustoe said on NBC. ‘I know Ronaldo’s been getting the headlines but the bigger headline for me is the transfer window for United has been incredibly disappointing. They haven’t brought any quality in.
‘When you’ve still got and I’m sorry because there’s part of Scott McTominay’s game that I like, Fred as well, but the quality required in the middle of the park for this football club is nowhere near good enough to supply the front players out there.
‘Sancho and Rashford [are] having a good preseason, they haven’t seen the ball because the ball keeps getting given away by the midfield players, I can put a reel together of six and seven times.
‘It looks simple stuff, but if your midfield players don’t possess a pass, positively forward, to get forwards involved, they are going to be fiddling around and giving the ball away. Brighton have been brilliant.
Frenkie de Jong is still Manchester United’s primary midfield target under manager Ten Hag
‘Quality is lacking at this football club. Players they’ve brought on are okay but Man United bringing in okay, it’s not good enough.’
Ten Hag has brought in Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen this summer but both fans and pundits have called for more quality.
One of the players United have been linked with is Frenkie de Jong. The Red Devils have been pursuing the Barcelona midfielder all summer with the chase at various intervals seeming both on the verge of completion and futile.
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