Roy Keane launched a scathing attack on Burnley’s performances, labelling Vincent Kompany’s side ‘dreadful, embarrassing and shocking’ so far this season.
It has been a bruising return to the Premier League for the Clarets with just 13 points from their first 26 matches, picking up three wins in that time.
It has been a struggle at both ends of the pitch, with 25 goals scored and 58 conceded in 26 outings and with hopes of survival looking pretty bleak even with 12 matches to play.
Burnley have the opportunity to improve their chances of avoiding relegation on Sunday when they take on Bournemouth at Turf Moor, but ahead of that contest Keane had some stinging criticism for them.
‘Do you know what, they’ve been dreadful. They’ve been dreadful,’ Keane said on Sky Sports. ‘We talk about teams having a style of play in the Championship and trying to compare it to the Premiership, it’s chalk and cheese. It’s impossible.
‘They look weak physically. The goals they’re giving away, it’s schoolboy stuff. They gave away a goal against Arsenal last week. You wouldn’t see it on a Sunday morning, it’s dreadful.
‘I admire managers who have a philosophy and a style of play, but you’ve got to adapt. They’ve been nowhere near good enough, it’s embarrassing the way things have been going for them.
‘Yeah of course there’s always a chance you can win a football match, but the stats against this team are pretty embarrassing. So the manager and the staff have got to change it.
‘If you can’t defend properly you’re in trouble, if you’re not scoring enough goals you’re going to head back to the Championship. We’ve seen it with all the teams down the bottom, Sheffield United, Luton at the moment, if you’re giving up two, three, four goals a game then what do you expect? Especially if you haven’t got a proper goal-scorer.’
Keane is particularly disappointed with former world-class defender Kompany not being able to sort out his team’s defence, or set up his side in a way they can at least be solid as underdogs.
‘I think we’ve gone too easy on some of the teams there at the bottom,’ continued the Manchester United legend.
‘Considering the positions the managers have played themselves. Kompany for example, an outstanding centre-half, he must know defensively his team are all over the place, they’ve got to do better. You’ve got to give yourself a chance of winning football matches.
‘At the moment, they’ve been shocking.’
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