Steven Gerrard missed a chance to ease the pressure on his Aston Villa side on Monday night, prompting Roy Keane to hit out at the former Rangers manager.
Villa travelled to the City Ground to face a Nottingham Forest side sitting bottom of the Premier League table before kick-off, but could only secure a 1-1 draw. Summer signing Emmanuel Dennis gave the hosts an early lead with his first Forest goal, with Ashley Young equalising for Villa but neither side managing to find a winner.
The result means only Wolves, who sacked manager Bruno Lage earlier this month, have scored fewer league goals than Gerrard's team this season. This clearly worried Keane, who made his feelings clear on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football broadcast.
"They've got no bottle, that Villa team," Keane said. "For all their so-called attacking players, they didn't do enough to get a result today and they'll be kicking themselves.
"But overall, I thought it was a really poor game, but credit to Forest. They've got something out of the game, and maybe something to build on, but [there was] a real lack of quality from both teams.
"From Villa's point of view, I couldn't believe how bad their attacking players were," the former Forest midfielder added. Gerrard's team have scored just seven goals in nine games, only once scoring more than one goal in a match.
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Gerrard had admitted he was under pressure before the game, where the result kept Villa in 16th but lifted Forest up a place to 19th. While more poor results may increase the pressure on the manager, Keane has given Gerrard advice regarding what to do in the January transfer window if he lasts that long.
"It can be different, you can come off the pitch and it's 1-1 and the goalkeeper made six brilliant saves and he's man of the match - that happens," Keane said. "But when you walk off and it's 1-1 and you're thinking 'we haven't even tested the goalkeeper'.
"You're thinking about your attacking players, they are key to him. The bottom line is you've got to put the ball in the back of the net, that's what you're in the team for.
"If you're not doing it and you get to January, hopefully he does, then you have to get the players in who can score the goals for Villa because these lads aren't doing it at this moment in time. You can't keep waiting."
Next up for Villa is a trio of games against London-based opposition. The run begins against a Chelsea side who won at Villa Park last season, with a trip to Fulham and a home meeting with Brentford to follow.
