United players 'get away with murder' - Keane on Mourinho sacking

Jose Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United this week after a poor run of form, but Roy Keane says the players are to blame.

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho

Roy Keane believes the Manchester United players "get away with murder" and Jose Mourinho was "thrown under the bus" by some squad members.

Mourinho exited Old Trafford this week after two-and-a-half years in charge, with Keane's former team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer duly coming in as manager on an interim basis.

The departed boss had public disputes with numerous star players - most notably Paul Pogba, who was left on the bench at Liverpool last week - and Keane believes these issues contributed heavily to Mourinho's departure.

The former United captain lays the blame at the players' doors, though, accusing some of downing tools as the 20-time champions slumped to sixth in the table.

"I think the players get away with murder, the way they hide behind the manager," Keane told BBC Radio 5 live. "With Mourinho, the players have thrown him under the bus.

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"People say Mourinho's been falling out with players; you would fall out with players when they turn up overweight or they aren't training properly and aren't producing. For some of them then to down tools, shame on them.

"I'm not Mourinho's biggest fan - don't get me wrong - but I can't tolerate footballers who just hide behind their agent, [and] their pals in the media. It's a bit of a joke really."

Keane does not believe a similar situation could ever have developed during his time at United.

"People might say I'm a bit old school, but I don't call it 'old school', I call it 'good school'," he continued.

"No matter what's going on at your club, when you go out on that pitch - particularly at a big club like United - you go out and give it your all, no excuses. That doesn't mean to say you're going to play well.

"This idea that players are a little bit upset... It's not just at United, the modern players are very weak, you can't say a word to them.

"I was very lucky with the dressing rooms that I was in, where there were good men, good leaders, good characters. That is definitely in shortage in the game now.

"I know the game has changed a little bit, but the players do get away with murder and it's really frustrating. It wouldn't have happened in our dressing room, just for the fact that we wouldn't have tolerated lads not putting a shift in."