Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane lent his support to the club’s Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after their latest disappointing result left them with one point from Monday’s 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal.
United are in 10th place with just nine points, their worst start after seven games for 30 years, and they have won just one of their last six league games.
However, with youngsters introduced to the side this season, Irishman Keane, who won seven Premier League titles with United, believes his former teammate needs time to shape the team.
Photo: Reuters
“I think he has been brilliant, a good honest guy. It is hard work at the moment, but there are six or seven young players learning their way,” Keane said on Sky Sports.
“We’re all very impatient, we want success yesterday, but you have to give the man time. He is frustrated, under pressure, but dealing with it. He’s a classy guy but no doubt he will be disappointed at not winning enough games,” he added.
United beat Chelsea 4-0 in their opening game, but their only league victory since then was a 1-0 win over Leicester City.
Keane said Solskjaer deserved the chance to bring in new players.
“They have given him the job. Support him in a couple of transfer windows. Are there more tough days ahead? You bet your life, but you need to stick with it,” he said.
“There was a lack of quality from both teams tonight. Their lack of goals, the lack of opportunities they’re creating.”
Solskjaer said that despite some encouraging individual displays, United’s results were a concern.
“There are many things we look at and many things that give me loads of confidence,” he said. “We can talk about performances but it’s the results that matter. You can talk about the results, I can talk about the six out of seven games good performances.”
After Monday’s draw, midfielder Scott McTominay said that United must become more ruthless in front of the goal to kiskstart their league campaign.
Scotland international McTominay put the hosts in front on the stroke of halftime, but his well-taken strike was canceled out by Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a game that only highlighted the weaknesses of both teams.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have not scored two goals in a match since their 4-0 victory over Chelsea.
“There were a lot of different chances we had in the game and it’s about being more ruthless in front of goal now. I’ve said in previous weeks we have to get more opportunities... create more,” McTominay told the club’s Web site. “It’s a disappointment with different opportunities we had and the way we started in the first 45 minutes, because we were on the front foot and doing a lot of things right.”
“It’s little mistakes we have to start cutting out... They cost you games and points,” McTominay added. “Everyone in the dressing room knows it is a tough one to take because we were on top.”
United’s poor scoring form has not been helped by injuries to forwards Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, as well as the departure of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to Inter.
However, McTominay backed United to overcome their problems.
“We are Manchester United and everything is well-documented, but we have a real good bunch of players who are a tight-knit group and the team spirit is really good. We keep everything in house and it is all positive,” he said.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care