Roy Keane highlights main ‘problem’ with Manchester United after Community Shield defeat to rivals Manchester City
The Community Shield did not go Manchester United’s way as they suffered a narrow defeat to rivals Manchester City on Saturday, August 10. The game ended in a stalemate with both sides scoring once, but City triumphed in the penalty shootout (7-6), with Jadon Sancho and Jonny Evans missing crucial penalties.
After the game, United legend Roy Keane delved into his former team’s performance and identified an area of concern that Erik ten Hag will have to address.
Despite the defeat, the Red Devils certainly had the better chances, particularly in the second half, where they repeatedly exposed City on the counter-attack. They were rewarded when Alejandro Garnacho scored (82'), but Pep Guardiola’s side equalized through a Bernardo Silva header (89') just before the end of regulation time.
Penalties can go either way, and City seemed to have the momentum after Silva’s equalizer. Ederson saved Sancho’s penalty, and Evans missed his, leading Manchester City to win the shootout 7-6.
Speaking on ITV, Keane praised United’s performance on the night but noted that injury issues could be a significant obstacle this season. Ten Hag will already be without new arrival Lenny Yoro for three months, while both Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw were sidelined for the Community Shield clash.
"Manchester United’s squad is pretty strong, but the problem is they pick up a lot of injuries. If they keep most players fit then I’d be pretty upbeat for the start of the season. If you were Erik ten Hag, you’d be upbeat, on the evidence of that. Just not strong enough in the end, and they’ll need a bit more steel to avoid conceding late goals like the one they did today," Keane said (via Metro UK).
However, United are set to add defensive reinforcements, with Bayern Munich duo Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui reportedly agreeing a deal to join the club.
Erik ten Hag believes Manchester Derby defeat will provide motivation for Manchester United
Manchester United fans were undoubtedly uplifted when Garnacho scored in the 82nd minute, which appeared to be the winner. It was also a well-deserved goal, as United had been consistently threatening City’s defense throughout the game.
Statistics also indicate that Ten Hag’s side performed better. United registered an expected goals tally (xG) of 1.16, compared to City’s 0.54.
Ten Hag was pleased with the performance but acknowledged that it was a tough blow, given that City eventually won the title. However, the Dutchman believes this performance proves that his team can compete with the top teams in the league as they strive for the league title.
"When the performance is right, we are winning in the game and after the penalty save as well, we lose... yeah, everyone feels this [defeat], it hurts in their stomach. We have to take this. We have to hurt, we have to feel pain now because it will give us motivation to do better. We can take positives out of this, that we can compete with Manchester City and we have to take this belief into the next [game],” Ten Hag said (via Express UK).
Next, the Red Devils will take on Fulham in their opening Premier League match on Friday, August 16, before heading to the south coast to face Brighton & Hove Albion on August 24.