‘Circus is back in town’: Man Utd boss rages as legends ravage club for all-time ‘disgrace’

Manchester United have been torn apart by football legends and their own manager Erik ten Hag for their 7-0 defeat to great rivals Liverpool, the equal-worst defeat in club history.

The loss all-but ends United’s Premier League title dream, but it was their utter capitulation defensively that had the likes of club greats Gary Neville and Roy Keane seeing red.

Dutch manager ten Hag labelled his team ‘unprofessional’ and added he was ‘ashamed’ for the fans.

He said: “In defensive transition, there was no team any more, we didn’t stick to the plan, there were 11 individuals. I don’t know, it was really bad … I am ashamed of myself for the fans today.”

“I’ve given my opinion [to the players]. It’s unprofessional, you have to stick together as a team, fight with each other, and we didn’t do that. We were really indisciplined in our jobs.

“You can have setbacks, but what can’t happen is that you don’t stick together. You have to do your job. It’s not possible that we made the wrong decisions in the transition and then we didn’t run and match the runs. We didn’t track back. For me, that’s unprofessional.

“I’m really disappointed and angry, especially for our fans. We let them down, but also as a squad, as a team, you can’t allow this.

Roy Keane, who won 17 major trophies at United, accused played of ‘throwing the towel in’ and declared ‘the circus is back in town’.

“The thing I’m always wary of with Man Utd is: they won the cup last week, a lot of celebration and of course I’d never begrudge a team of that. But they turned up against West Ham, I’m at the game, and the circus is back in town at Man Utd.

“I see the players come here in the second half having a laugh and a joke. They’re 1-0 down at Anfield and they’re having a laugh and a joke with the Anfield staff, goalkeeping coach! I don’t like to see all that rubbish!

“I think that circus can creep back in and the manager and senior players have to keep an eye on that. It was the same against West Ham the other night: a lot of celebrations and presentations. I understand one or two – but not four or five.

“And today at halftime, there were players walking down the tunnel having a laugh and a joke. You’re 1-0 down at Anfield, this is a serious business. This is big boy stuff and forget all of this laughing and joking rubbish. And in the second half where there are some players throwing the towel in, you don’t expect them to be laughing at the end of the game.”

He added: “The senior players for Man United – the big players, the ones we give the big build up to, the experienced players – they’re the ones who have really let the club down today. I always imagined if you got beat in a game like this six or seven nil you’d go into hiding.

“As a player you’d go into hiding for a few days. I think I’d go missing for a few months, it really is that embarrassing.”

United captain Bruno Fernandes was heavily criticised for his antics in the game, which included repeatedly diving or simulating contact – once to attempt to earn a penalty despite minimal contact with Liverpool gloveman Alisson, and another time clutching his face claiming Ibrahima Konate had hit him.

His reaction to the Reds’ sixth goal was also slammed by football greats, including former United defender Gary Neville.

“Bruno Fernandes is stood in the centre circle with his arms raised saying ‘Why isn’t it me coming off?’ Honestly,” Neville said on Sky Sports.

“I think some of his behaviour in the second half has been a disgrace.”

“The second-half has been an absolute disgrace, a shambles. They have not been epitomised more than Bruno Fernandes, who has been embarrassing – a shambles – in this game.

Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, he added: “The second half was an absolute disgrace. I’ll start with the captain because you are the captain of the football club.

“Bruno Fernandes can wind you up sometimes because of the way he is, but that was appalling in the second half.

“The rest of them didn’t show up. The whole back four was a disgrace. That can’t become the norm. That has to be put down as something we never see again.”

Keane was similarly harsh on Fernandes.

“Fernandes’ body language was nothing short of disgraceful, “ said Keane. “He’s a really talented boy but he’s your captain. So much talent but his body language of waving his arms about and not running back? You wouldn’t be happy with him in your dressing room.”

United defender Luke Shaw said: “I feel embarrassed for the fans and the people who were watching for us. I can only apologise. It’s not going to be easy watching this back. But he [Ten Hag] is going to make us watch it back, and show us what we need to learn from this embarrassment.”

Opening up on his experiences travelling to Anfield as a Manchester United player, Keane said: “When United come to Liverpool, whatever the form, all logic goes out the window at Anfield. We’ve said it many times before, it is the hardest place to come as a Manchester United player without a shadow of a doubt, whatever quality you have or form you might be in, and when you go two goals down like that you’ve got to show some sort of pride, fight, spirit, and they didn’t show any of that.

“I’ll go in hard on Manchester United, of course I will, but I also have to say that Liverpool were absolutely amazing. Their energy levels, their quality of play, decision-making, desire. We saw at the end of the game there they were still trying to get bodies in the box, still trying to get more goals – Liverpool were back to their very, very best, like they have done over the last few years. Embarrassing day for United though.”