Roy Keane unleashed a scathing attack on Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount after Thursday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham, accusing the substitute of looking like “a schoolboy” with no “presence” at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils missed the chance to move up to fifth in the Premier League after conceding a late draw at 18th-placed West Ham. United are now eighth in the Premier League table, having won just one of their last five games.
Diogo Dalot put United ahead against the Hammers, only for the visitors to equalize late on from Soungoutou Magassa. The equalizer came in the 83rd minute after United failed to control the game.
“When you’re trying to watch an away game, I look at Mason Mount when he came on, some players take longer to get up to speed, but he was like a schoolboy,” Keane told Sky Sports.
“You’re looking for players to come in with presence,” added the former United captain.
Mount was signed by Chelsea in the summer of 2023 for around £55m, plus £5m in add-ons. The midfielder came off the bench alongside Manuel Ugarte as Ruben Amorim made five substitutions.
“If anything, they dropped the standards at United,” Keane noted. “That seemed to be the case tonight.”
The club legend went further in his assessment of the squad. “Defensively and in midfield, there are big questions,” Keane explained. “I wouldn’t trust or believe in this team to get results.”
“Every time I look at this United team, they disappoint,” Keane continued. “They’re not clinical, they weren’t nasty enough to do the job.”
When asked about the performance, Amorim remained focused on the tactical issues. “It’s not an excuse,” the manager said. “The players change, but we know what to do. We have to close the game.”
Under Ruben Amorim, United have managed just 27 points from 20 games at Old Trafford, with just one win from their last five in the league. They also drew three of those five despite being ahead in each game.
“In his last three or four games, I think he’s been desperate,” insisted Keane.
