By Man Utd surrendered three-goal lead as Coventry forced extra-time and needed VAR to rule out 121st-minute winner for the Sky Blues at Wembley before securing an FA Cup final showdown against Man City with a 4-2 penalty shootout win
Roy Keane said Manchester United “looked like a Championship side” as Erik Ten Hag’s beleaguered outfit limped into the FA Cup final by beating second-tier Coventry on penalties.
United led the semi-final 3-0 but Mark Robins’ Coventry went close to completing an epic comeback at Wembley in extra-time when they hit the crossbar before having a goal disallowed by an ultra-tight VAR call in the 121st minute.
“I don’t like what I see from this United team,” Sky Sports pundit Keane told ITV. “They are hard to like. They play in moments. We go on about leadership and character, but I don’t see any of this from this United group.
“My goodness, they rode their luck at the end. The substitutions, the goal gave Coventry belief and all of a sudden they looked like a Premier League team in extra-time and United looked like a Championship team.”
Robins has a special place in United’s legend after scoring an FA Cup goal widely credited as saving Sir Alex Ferguson’s job early in the Scot’s tenure at Old Trafford.
Turning the comparison on its head, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher believes Coventry’s fightback will cost Ten Hag his job despite United’s shoot-out win.
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance. I would imagine that is probably the most-embarrassed dressing room of a team that has just won a big game. The players won’t know whether to celebrate, they are probably all sat there looking at each other.
“What is it about Ten Hag that makes you think he’s going to take Manchester United forward next season? I just don’t see it.”
“[Harry] Maguire got interviewed after the game and said, ‘we showed great character’. I don’t see character in this group of players, I really don’t,” he added. “I’m getting to the stage where I’m almost disliking them.
“The qualities they have are clear but when they have a team where they want them and the game won, they just take the foot off the gas. It’s as if they are frightened to go and win the game. I’m waiting for leadership. Show some courage.”
United will play neighbours Manchester City in the final on May 25, a repeat of last year’s final, which United lost 2-1.
