Manchester United were “almost embarrassed” to reach the FA Cup final and did not resemble a Premier League team in their win on penalties over Coventry City, club legend Roy Keane has said.
Keane’s former side conceded three goals after the 70th minute to spurn a 3-0 lead against opponents who are eighth in the Championship and had lost three of their previous four games.
Coventry scored their third in the 95th minute, had a goal disallowed during the second half of extra time and took the lead in the shootout when Casemiro’s opening penalty was saved by Bradley Collins.
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“They had the game won at 3-0 and were almost embarrassed to win, in the end,” Keane told ITV Sport.
“They were quite lucky today. Every time I see this United team, I don’t like what I see. They’re hard to like.
“I don’t see any leaders. I don’t see character in this group of players. I’m getting to the stage where I’m almost disliking them.”
🗣️ “Last-minute penalty… It’s so harsh, his arm is down by his side.”
🗣️ “We have to do much better.”
Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire speak with Gabriel Clarke after victory in the FA Cup semifinal#ITVFootball | #FACup | @ManUtd | @gabrielclarke05 pic.twitter.com/9QVfb2FjGM
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) April 21, 2024
United v Coventry: ‘Job done’
“Coventry looked like a Premier League team and United looked like a Championship team,” assessed Keane. “They’re in the cup final and they’ve got the job done.
“Coventry are a Championship team and they got back in the game, but that’s what United do; they give up chances. My goodness, they rode their luck today.”
United have not won over 90 minutes in six matches and their nerve-shredding passage to a second successive FA Cup final against Manchester City is likely to intensify the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, with the new boss of their football operations, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, watching on.
Scott McTominay poked in Diogo Dalot’s cross to open the scoring after 23 minutes and Harry Maguire headed in Bruno Fernandes’ corner before half-time as the favourites appeared to be cruising to victory.
Fernandes struck a stylish third from a tight angle with 32 minutes remaining, and Ellis Simms’ clinical first-time strike looked like little more than a consolation for City with their first shot on target 12 minutes later, converting from Fabio Tavares’ excellent cross.
There was lavish unexpected drama to come, though, when Callum O’Hare’s shot from 20 yards took a deflection off Aaron Wan-Bissaka and looped over goalkeeper Andre Onana.
Haji Wright then coolly converted a 95th-minute penalty after Wan-Bissaka was adjuged to have handled.
