Roy Keane delivered a scathing assessment of Manchester United’s performance during their 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town, pointing out the team’s inability to sustain their early momentum and their overly cautious approach after taking an early lead. Keane’s comments, aired on Sky Sports, laid bare his frustration with United’s passive response, emphasizing that they failed to capitalize on a promising start under new manager Rúben Amorim.
United seemed to hit the ground running at Portman Road, with Marcus Rashford finding the back of the net just two minutes into the match. The goal, set up by a well-placed cross from Amad Diallo, marked a dream beginning for Amorim in his debut as United’s manager. However, the early spark quickly fizzled out as Ipswich began to assert themselves, forcing United onto the back foot. Andre Onana’s acrobatic save against Liam Delap temporarily preserved United’s lead, but Ipswich eventually equalized through Omari Hutchinson’s stunning, albeit deflected, curler shortly before halftime.
Keane, while commending the initial goal, did not hold back in criticizing United’s subsequent approach. “Brilliant start by United, first minute of the game,” he acknowledged. “I’m not sure if Rashford connects properly with the cross, and I have questions about the goalkeeper, but this is exactly what you want from your wing-backs—being attack-minded and proactive. It was the perfect way to start the game.”
Despite this positive opening, Keane’s tone shifted as he dissected United’s failure to maintain their early dominance. “After that, they’ve not really done much,” he said. “Ipswich deserved their equaliser. United had a great start, but then they just sat back. I’m looking at them thinking, what are you waiting for? Go after Ipswich. Instead, they retreated and gave Ipswich all the encouragement they needed.”
Keane further highlighted what he perceives as a growing vulnerability in Manchester United’s performances. “There’s nothing to fear when playing United these days,” he declared. “They allow their opponents to grow in confidence. That’s exactly what happened here—Ipswich believed they could get something from the game, and they did.”
The Irishman’s stinging critique reflects broader concerns about United’s inability to dominate matches and maintain consistent pressure. While the appointment of Rúben Amorim has brought some optimism, the early signs suggest the Portuguese manager has significant work ahead to address these issues. Amorim will need to find a way to inject urgency and intensity into United’s performances, ensuring that the team can not only take the lead but also build on it effectively.
For Keane, this match exemplifies a recurring problem for Manchester United: their tendency to switch off after bright starts. Unless Amorim can instill a more relentless mentality within his squad, Keane’s frustrations—and United’s struggles—are likely to continue, leaving fans and pundits alike questioning the team’s ability to compete at the highest level.