Former captain Roy Keane is not fully convinced that Manchester United are making progress, despite heading into Friday night's FA Cup clash with Everton on a six-game winning run.
The Reds, who have completed the loan signing of Crystal Palace goalkeeper Jack Butland on a deal until the end of the season, have been in terrific form since the season resumed following the World Cup pause just over a fortnight ago, winning four games in a row without conceding. They have dispatched of Nottingham Forest (3-0), Wolves (1-0) and Bournemouth (3-0) in the Premier League and of Burnley (2-0) in the Carabao Cup.
Their recent run of results has seen them climb into the top-four, moving them level on points with third-placed Newcastle United. However, although the supporters are pleased with the progress Erik ten Hag's side have made in recent weeks, Keane is refusing to get carried away, instead looking ahead to see how they will deal with the task of back-to-back league fixtures against Manchester City and Arsenal.
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"No not really, I'll be honest with you," Keane told ITV when asked if he felt United were progressing. "They're on a good run and they've beaten teams recently, but they've not really played anybody.
"Of course they've got City coming up in a few weeks and Arsenal but I'm still not convinced. I still think the problems are there with the centre backs, I'm still not convinced with the goalkeeper [David de Gea]. They're better than obviously last year, which wouldn't have been hard.
"Obviously the [Cristiano] Ronaldo situation has been cleared up, I'm sure that will help the situation. I think they've had some cushy games since the World Cup, certainly winnable, he's [Ten Hag] been experimenting, playing [Luke] Shaw at centre-half, but he won't be playing Shaw at centre- half against Man City or Arsenal, I can tell you that."
Fellow ITV pundit Ian Wright added: "At the same time you can’t take away from the fact that they’re playing a brand of football now where, there are games that you can say Man United should be winning and they’re probably easy games, but it was not so long ago that anybody could come here and give Man United a game or beat Man United.
"So, you have to say he’s [Erik ten Hag] changed something, that something has changed here with the culture, what they’re doing now.
"They’re much in it right now, they’re up there, playing with confidence and they’re not even in their final form of what he wants to do with them, they’re still playing in a counter-attacking style and that’s not how he plays - he wants to play more football so they’re progressing, for me."
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