Roy Keane and Gary Neville brutally singled out defenders Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot for criticism in the wake of Manchester United’s defeat on the road against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils had not been beaten at Villa Park since 1995 but a sumptuous brace from Morgan Rogers helped the hosts secure their tenth consecutive win this season, and keep pace among the Premier League title contenders.
But as much as Rogers was able to provide individual brilliance for Unai Emery’s side, Keane believed that some of the drive and fight was missing from Ruben Amorim’s players.
‘You can have all the talent in the world, but we mention it time and time again, you’ve got to roll your sleeves up,’ he said after the final whistle on Sky Sports.
‘When the game gets a bit tired, or those moments, you go, ‘I’m going to do my bit for the team.’ There’s too many players, like Dalot, who just don’t do enough.’
The Portugal international, along with his team-mate Yoro, was put through his paces by the punchy Villa attackers, with some on social media criticising him for not putting enough pressure on Youri Tielemans at the corner flag ahead of Rogers’ second goal.
Diogo Dalot was singled out for criticism by Roy Keane after Man United’s defeat to Aston Villa
The Red Devils legend suggested that the Portugal international was not trying hard enough
‘I won’t use the word ‘cheating’ but they’re not doing enough,’ Keane continued. ‘And after the game, I’d be looking at him, I wouldn’t be looking at the other bits, I’d be asking him, ‘are you going to stop him?’
‘Same with the first goal, when Rogers gets the ball wide, we’re all sitting there, we know there’s danger. Do they not know there’s danger?’
Neville was similarly critical of Yoro in the build-up to the opener, with the Man United legend dubbing the France international as ‘ambling’.
‘That is so, so special. So, so good from Morgan Rogers,’ Neville noted when reviewing the opening strike. ‘John McGinn fires it into him after a little wrestle with Luke Shaw and I just thought, as Yoro doesn’t go and close him down on that first touch… he ambles, Manchester United’s right centre-back.
‘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 confronts him outside the box.
Leny Yoro (pictured falling) was also placed in the firing line, as a focus for Gary Neville’s ire
‘But once doesn’t, Rogers still has a lot to do and my goodness me does he do it!
‘I’ve played that position and when you play against a special player you have to edge over, if the touch is off you need to get out close and harass him, you can’t drift.
‘He just ambled, Yoro, which was a big mistake.’
Missing out on a win away from home kept Man United from going level with rivals Chelsea and Liverpool, a stone’s throw from a spot in the Premier League’s top four.
