Roy Keane criticizes Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot after loss to Aston Villa
Roy Keane launched a pointed attack on Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot during his Sky Sports analysis following the club’s 2-1 loss at Aston Villa on Sunday, reports BritPanorama.
The former United captain expressed frustration at what he perceived as a lack of determination from several players in Ruben Amorim’s squad. Keane suggested the Portuguese full-back exemplified a broader problem within the team regarding effort levels.
The Irishman said: “There’s too many players, like Dalot, that just don’t do enough.” He insisted that talent alone cannot compensate for a poor work rate, emphasising that players must demonstrate a willingness to fight during difficult moments in matches.
Keane stopped short of accusing players of cheating but made clear his dissatisfaction with their application. “I won’t use the word cheating but they’re not just doing enough,” he declared. “And after the game I’d be looking at him – I wouldn’t be looking at other bits of the game.”
The former Sunderland manager was particularly perplexed by the defensive awareness shown during Morgan Rogers’ brace for the hosts. He questioned: “Same for the first goal when Rogers gets the ball wide. We’re all sitting there and we know there’s danger. Do they not know there’s danger?”
His comments suggested United’s backline failed to anticipate obvious threats developing in front of them. Gary Neville directed his criticism towards centre-back Leny Yoro, whose positioning for the opening goal drew rebuke from the former United defender. While reviewing Rogers’ first strike, Neville said: “He just ambled, Yoro, which was a big mistake.”
The pundit noted that after John McGinn played the ball into Rogers following a tussle with Luke Shaw, the French defender failed to close down his opponent with sufficient urgency. Neville explained: “I thought, ‘Uh oh, you could be in trouble here’, because Rogers can do that. There’s no doubt Leny Yoro has to get out quicker, he has to make sure he confronts him outside the box.”
Drawing on his own playing experience, Neville stressed that facing exceptional attackers requires defenders to press aggressively rather than drift passively. Rogers’ superb double secured Villa’s tenth consecutive victory, a feat the club had not achieved in 111 years under Unai Emery’s guidance.
The result left United without a win at Villa Park for the first time since 1995 and just two victories from their last eight league fixtures, leaving them seventh in the table. The defeat, which left them three points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, was compounded by an injury to captain Bruno Fernandes, who faces time on the sidelines during the busy festive period. Academy products Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey both made their senior debuts as substitutes.
Speaking after the match, Dalot told Sky Sports: “This is the time when opportunities come for other players and you have to step up and show you deserve to be in the team and play more minutes.” It’s a reminder that while the spotlight often shines on the stars, the weight of expectation falls equally on those still searching for their moment to shine.
