“Too little, too late" - Roy Keane responds as Bruno Fernandes reveals he apologized to Ten Hag after his Manchester United sacking
Manchester United legend Roy Keane has reacted to comments from club captain Bruno Fernandes, who revealed he apologized to Erik ten Hag after his sacking. The Dutch manager was sacked by the Old Trafford hierarchy on October 28, after a 2-1 loss to West Ham in the Premier League a day earlier.
The Red Devils shared the spoils at Old Trafford with a 1-1 draw in the Premier League against Chelsea on Sunday (November 3). Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Bruno Fernandes discussed Ten Hag's sack and stated (via Manchester World):
"It is easier to get rid of a manager than 15 players. I spoke to the manager [Ten Hag] and apologised to him, I was disappointed he has gone and I tried to help him."
"I wasn’t scoring goals, we are not scoring goals and I feel responsible. I normally score a lot of goals but I always gave 100%. He is aware of that."
Reacting to these comments, Roy Keane slammed Bruno Fernandes. He lashed out at the Manchester United captain for lacking leadership, saying (via Manchester World):
"Too little, too late. You are judged for what you have done on a football pitch. Bruno didn't show that leadership, but you also have to move on. A lot of players don't care that much, they just focus on the next manager."
"I don't think Bruno has done enough as captain over the last year or so to help the manager out. He has not shown enough leadership skills when the going has got tough.”
With Ten Hag now out of the club, assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy has been appointed as the interim manager. He has already led the club to a 5-2 win over Leicester City in the EFL Cup, and followed it up with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League.
Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag opens up in public letter
Erik ten Hag has penned a public letter to Manchester United fans, following the club's decision to sack him after a poor run of form. After enduring their worst-ever finish in the Premier League last season (eighth), United had an underwhelming start to the 2024-25 campaign with just three wins from nine league games.
After he was let go by Manchester United, Ten Hag stated (via GOAL):
"Dear fans, let me start by thanking you. Thank you for always being there for the club... We won two trophies - achievements that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Of course, my dream was to bring more trophies to the cabinet. Unfortunately, that dream has come to an end..."
Ten Hag won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024 with Manchester United, the club's only pieces of silverware since 2017. However, his poor run of form in the league eventually made his position at the club untenable.
The Red Devils have already hired Ruben Amorim as the permanent head coach to take over from Ruud van Nistelrooy on November 11.