Roy Keane labels Manchester United star a ‘fool’ after damning post-match verdict

Roy Keane has aimed at Christian Eriksen in his latest rant about the Manchester United dressing room.

United manager Erik ten Hag has come under fierce pressure in the opening weeks of the Premier League season, with the club’s hierarchy meeting in London on Tuesday.

It is understood that the board discussed Ten Hag’s future after a poor start to the 2024/25 campaign.

With Ten Hag set to keep his job at United for the foreseeable future, former club captain Roy Keane revealed that he has lost faith in the current team.

After Eriksen suggested Twente ‘wanted it more; in last month’s 1-1 draw in the Europa League at Old Trafford, Keane began to question to mentality of Ten Hag’s side.

“After the Twente game. A really poor game. When you’ve got players coming out and saying ‘I think they might have wanted it more than us’. I kind of gave up at that stage,” Keane said on Stick To Football.

“If that’s the noises coming out of the dressing room, then no wonder the manager is in trouble and no wonder they’re not going to win football matches. But that’s where United are – it’s hit and miss.

“They will win a few games but they’re going to lose plenty. I’m not sure there is a team there. I’d love to know what the culture is like at the training ground, who’s putting demands on each other, who’s pushing each other, who’s helping the younger players.

“Are the senior players proper and wanting to get the job done against FC Twente instead of coming out and saying they wanted it more.

“United was always about good people and good characters who could deal with playing for the club, but I don’t see that now. I don’t recognise this team and I don’t recognise the club.

“People a couple of months ago were saying they’ve got new people coming on board and they’ll have all the answers. They’ve spent more money on recruitment but they’ve gone backwards.

“When we discuss United, it’s more like a business but it’s a football club. A football club is about the people who turn up and put a shift in. What I see at United, might be a bit harsh, I’m not sure I’m seeing proper football people in there making the right decisions for the club.”

Keane continued by labelling Eriksen a ‘fool’ for going public with his comments after the match.

“Eriksen’s an experienced international player, vastly experienced. He’s back in the United team the last few weeks because the manager says he’s doing really well in training,” he added.

“Eriksen’s not going to close the gap on Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City – absolutely not.

“So he’s coming out after the game a couple of weeks ago and he actually said [they wanted it more].

“Even if you feel that and it hasn’t happened where you felt they wanted it more than you, you don’t bloody say it do you, you fool.

“Someone should get a grip of him and say ‘Why are you sending messages about us for?’”

Christian Eriksen still feeling fresh and fit as ever

The Denmark international recently revealed that he is happy with the amount of playing time he has received under Ten Hag this season.

“Physically and football-wise, I’m fine,” Eriksen said.

“The talk when I came into the last (international) session with very few minutes was that it was a problem and now I may have almost played too many minutes!

“It has been great for me to get some minutes continuously, and get some flow, so that I am, again, a player who can play every three days.

“I don’t feel like a 32-year-old, understood in the sense that I don’t feel like I’m about to finish as a footballer,” he continued.

“But, precisely because I am 32, people feel from the outside that you might be about to finish. And I think that is sometimes a bit misunderstood.

“So often age, as a number, is worse than what the player is. I think, there, you have to think about what type of player it is, what position they play and so on. It is of great importance.

“You have football experience and, of course, you also have the age but, if you still have the speed, quickness, running capacity and things like that, then I don’t think there is a big difference between being 32 or 29.”