Leeds United’s 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday night has continued to dominate headlines this week.
The result helped Leeds to go six points clear of the relegation zone and has forced pundits to U-turn on their predictions for the Whites this season.
Manchester United have continued to moan about referee Paul Tierney’s performance and will appeal to the FA to try to overturn Lisandro Martinez’s red card.
However, it is hard to escape the fact that Leeds dominated Manchester United in the first half, and former Red Devils captain Roy Keane is refusing to look at the excuses for the home side.
Roy Keane hammers Manchester United duo for their performance
Leeds overran a Manchester United midfield that was missing Kobbie Mainoo, who missed the game due to a minor injury, and in the first half, the home side looked disjointed.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane didn’t hold back, calling out the issues in their performance and criticising Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte for how they played before the break.
He insisted that the midfield duo showed no energy or quality and allowed Leeds to dominate the game in the first half, where they actually won the fixture.
Keane said on Sky Sports: “It’s a big setback for them.
“Midfield? Non-existent, the two of them, particularly in the first half, no energy, no quality.
“Leeds were out of the blocks quickly, and it was a fantastic result for Leeds.”
Ampadu and Tanaka battered Manchester United in the first half
The Leeds midfield completely dominated the Manchester United duo, and it showed in the way they played in the first half.
Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka gave no time to Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte to settle and constantly kept Bruno Fernandes in check.
The Leeds captain dispossessed Casemiro in the build-up to the second Leeds goal at the edge of Manchester United’s box, which showed how difficult the home side found it on Monday night.
Tanaka has earned plaudits for his superlative performance, and Jamie Carragher admitted that the duo battered Manchester United during the game.
He said, “Manchester United have been absolutely battered.
“We’ve seen the stats there, the two midfield players, Ampadu and Tanaka, have been absolutely outstanding, and Manchester United were fortunate it wasn’t 3-0.”
