Keane concerned about Solskjaer being ‘thrown under the bus’ by United players

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has hit out at the club’s players and said they will throw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer “under the bus”.

Keane, speaking on Sky Sports ahead of the Manchester derby, said too many players in United’s squad fell short of the club’s standards and fighting for a top-four place was not good enough.

“These are the same players who threw (former boss Jose) Mourinho under the bus and they will do exactly the same to Ole,” Keane said.

“Leopards don’t change their spots. There’s too many bluffers at this club to get United back to the very top.

“Even the point that we’re talking about Man United trying to finish fourth tells you how the standards have dropped over the last few years – both on and off the pitch.

“It’s a big test for Ole as well of course.”

United went into the derby on the back of a humiliating 4-0 defeat at Everton which left them as outsiders to qualify for the Champions League.

The performance at Goodison Park was dismal, with several players guilty of looking uninterested as they failed to press Everton.

“It’s not up to the manager to motivate the players, the players have to motivate themselves,” Keane said.

“You’ve got to be up for every game at Manchester United and the fact that Ole’s got to discuss it after the game and again the following few days about his players not being up for a game of football, he must be hugely embarrassed.”

Speaking after Sunday’s match, United midfielder Paul Pogba described their performance as “disrespectful” to the club, but Keane was still unimpressed.

After watching a Sky interview with the United midfielder, Keane said: “I wouldn’t believe a word he says. There’s no meaning behind it, I don’t even think he believed what he was saying there.

“He’s on about being a team-mate, well if you want to be a good team-mate you’ve got to run back.

“He is a big problem for United.”