Roy Keane criticises Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish for laughing during draw against Sheffield United

Roy Keane has criticised Aston Villa‘s approach against Sheffield United and singled out captain Jack Grealish for laughing.

Villa are languishing in 19th place in the Premier League, with Dean Smith’s side locked in a battle to avoid relegation. 

They were held to a goalless draw at home to Sheffield United on Wednesday in the first game since the Premier League’s resumption, and Keane wasn’t happy with Villa’s attitude. 

Roy Keane has criticised Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish for laughing against Sheffield United

Keane wasn’t pleased with the manner in which Grealish and Villa approached the game

Speaking on Sky Sports, Keane said: ‘They need a bit more intensity. And I know it’s the first game in three months and it will be difficult for the players to get their sharpness back. I was always told it would take six or seven games for me to get up to speed, so that’s a difficult situation for the players.

‘But you have to try and create something. And for Villa the other night, I got the impression they felt a draw wasn’t the end of the world.

‘Everytime I looked at Grealish he was laughing. Listen do you know what’s at stake here? And perhaps because the supporters weren’t there they felt the result didn’t matter. Of course it matters, your career is at stake here.’

Grealish was unable to inspire Villa to victory as they took part in the first game since returning

Villa were fortunate not to suffer a defeat, with goalkeeper Orjan Nyland carrying the ball over the line following Oliver Norwood’s free-kick, but the effort, to widespread bewilderment, didn’t go down as a goal.

With just nine rounds of fixtures remaining, time is running out for Villa to preserve their top flight status.

Despite Keane’s criticism, Grealish looked the most likely to make something happen for Villa on Wednesday, and he has made a major contribution in the Premier League this season, scoring seven goals and providing six assists. 

Villa have a tough task ahead on Sunday, when they host Chelsea and they will need Grealish to be at his best on that occasion. 

Following that game, there are further difficult tasks for Villa, who still have to play Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Although they weren’t able to take all three points against Sheffield United, Villa did manage to bring an alarming run of five consecutive defeats across all competitions to an end.