Football can be a cruel sport, but fight and desire always attract attention whenever they are on show, and they were on show at Old Trafford.
Manchester United played out a thrilling 4-4 draw against Aston Villa in their Premier League meeting on Sunday, and former captain Roy Keane was partly pleased with what he saw.
The Red Devils fought back from two separate two-goal deficits to pick up a point which leaves them in 18th place in the league standings.
'You have to give them a little bit of praise': Keane lauds Manchester United despite dropped points
One of the most vocal critics of his former club, Keane is never one to shy away from expressing an opinion or sharing his thoughts.
The Irishman was on punditry duty with Sky Sports when he shared his candid opinion on what had just unfolded at the Theatre of Dreams.
"There have been question marks over this team showing a bit of fight, a bit of desire. And as bad as the game was from a football point of view they kept going until the end.
They kept going, so you have to give them a little bit of praise. But in terms of the bigger picture it's that rollercoaster of watching United. Some bits were so, so bad.
Defensively, the start to the first half, the start to the second half, but they found a way to get a point when they looked dead and buried. Ultimately nowhere near good enough to try to get towards the middle of the table," he said.
Michael Carrick's side pulled off a miraculous escape to record a fifth draw in ten games in the Premier League this season.
Many had alleged that the players had downed tools after their run of nine games without a win, but their display of fighting spirit on Sunday evening tells a different story entirely.
Manchester United score late double to secure draw against Villa
Carrick's team were up against a wounded Villa side who had been battered in the Champions League in mid-week by Spanish giants Barcelona, looking to secure a good result.
Their plans took an early hit as they went behind inside the opening minute thanks to a strike from Alysson Edward.
Two minutes later, they set a new, unwanted club record as the red-hot Nicolas Jackson fired home from inside the box to double Villa's advantage.
United quickly snapped out of their slow start and were awarded a penalty which Bruno Fernandes tucked away in the 16th minute for a second successive game.
They remained in the ascendancy throughout the first half and were rewarded when Youri Tielemans fired home against his former employers to level the scores just before the break.
The second half began exactly as the first did, with Villa reclaiming their lead within three minutes of the restart through a John McGinn penalty.
A fourth goal soon followed for Unai Emery's team, as Leon Goretzka poked home from close range.
United huffed and puffed, but it took the introduction of substitutes to turn the game on its head.
Shortly after Mason Mount struck the woodwork, two substitutes combined, as Patrick Dorgu set up Joshua Zirkzee for a first-time finish in the second minute of stoppage time.
Four minutes later, Denmark international Dorgu climbed highest to nod home a corner from Bruno, ensuring that the points were shared at the end of a thrilling encounter.
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