Keane slams two Man Utd ‘schoolboys’ after ‘flat’ Red Devils lose to Tottenham

Roy Keane has hit out at Manchester United duo Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes for their performances in a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday.

The Red Devils went down in the capital on Saturday night after Pape Sarr slid home the opener in the 49th minute before Lisandro Martinez deflected the ball into his own net late on.

Man Utd could have easily been ahead by this point with Marcus Rashford denied by Guglielmo Vicario and Fernandes heading wide from six yards, while Antony curled against the post minutes after Sarr’s goal.

Tottenham did also create plenty of opportunities in the first half but stepped up their display after the break to earn new head coach Ange Postecoglou a maiden Premier League win.

And former Man Utd midfielder was angry with the Red Devils’ players out of possession with Mount and Fernandes singled out for criticism.

“They just looked lightweight,” Keane told Sky Sports.

READ MORE: Ten Hag won’t last the season at ‘sh*t’ Man Utd and ‘what a f*cking change’ at Tottenham

“You look at the six players high up the pitch, when you’re out of possession, they’re giving you absolutely nothing.

“You can almost carry one or two that don’t give you much but can be match-winners, but United are carrying too many players who are not really at it.

“When these players think, ‘okay I’ll forgive you for not doing the defensive stuff but you better be really good when you’re getting on it’, and they’re not doing that.

“When I look at Mount and Fernandes, out of possession they look like schoolboys.

“They haven’t got the physicality to get the ball back. We make excuses all the time for them, we’re told Ten Hag is a brilliant coach but we need to see it.

“They looked flat here. I’d like to know what they’re doing on the training pitch. Are they over-training? They don’t look full of energy.

“Every time I watch United, towards the end of games they’ve got a goal in them but I didn’t feel that today. When it was 1-0 or 2-0, I thought it’s game over and I genuinely never felt like that with this Man United team.”

Harry Maguire, who has been linked with a move away from Man Utd this summer, was left out of the matchday squad to face Tottenham.

But Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag insisted that Maguire was just missing because of a “small” injury issue but referring to a potential transfer he admitted “everything can change”.

Ten Hag told reporters: “Yesterday in final training, H (Maguire) was out with a small issue. So after September 1 everything can change, but we need players who are totally with their heads in our team.

“I won’t say the players you mention, they are not, but it’s also obvious that in this moment they are looking for something else.

“But when they are here they always do their best, every training (session).”