Manchester United have been slammed by a former captain after requiring penalties to overcome Coventry City in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.
The 20-time English champions led 3-0 at Wembley with 58 minutes on the clock, with Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes on the scoresheet.
Coventry staged an incredible comeback to level it up at 3-3 in the final 20 minutes and force extra-time, and they appeared to have won it in the final stages when Victor Torp registered from close range.
However, the offside flag saved the Red Devils, and they went on to win the penalty shootout 4-2, with Diogo Dalot, Christian Eriksen, Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund scoring after Casemiro had missed their opener.
Ex-Man United captain Roy Keane has claimed that Man United "looked like a Championship side" rather than Coventry, who operate in the second tier of English football.
Roy Keane critical of Man United after late capitulation
"Coventry looked like a Premier League team and Manchester United looked like a Championship side," Keane told ITV Sport after the extraordinary semi-final in the English capital.
"The Manchester United players and supporters weren't going over the top because they were lucky to win. They were almost embarrassed in the end.
"I don't like what I see when I watch this United group. I don't see leaders. They give up chances, they give up goals, we've seen it all season and they rode their luck today."
Fernandes also admitted after the match that it was difficult to be too pleased with the outcome, with Man United's standards dropping this season after a positive first campaign under Erik ten Hag.
"When they scored a goal [in extra time] we thought it might be offside, we couldn't tell from the front. We put ourselves in a difficult position and should have killed it earlier but we didn't. We have to do so much better," the current Man United captain told ITV Sport.
Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire react to penalty-shootout win
"We'll never be successful if we win [only] the FA Cup. The standard of this club is much higher than what we have been doing. We have to do better in the league, the League Cup and in Europe."
Meanwhile, Maguire added: "We found a way. We started the game really well and then conceded a sloppy goal. We were unfortunate to concede the second goal.
"I think the penalty was so hard but all credit to Coventry. They made it tough for us in the second half of extra time. It sums up our season, we had great control and played well for 60 minutes but then we conceded out of nothing.
"Then I don't know, it seems like the world wanted Coventry to go on and do it. We showed great character to stick with it and it was important to win the shootout."
Man United, who will take on Manchester City in the final at the end of next month, now face back-to-back home Premier League matches against the bottom two Sheffield United and Burnley. body check tags ::
