Roy Keane: Manchester United Still Short of Title Contenders
Roy Keane sees progress in Manchester United’s midfield. He doesn’t see a title-winning team.
Speaking on Stick to Football, the former United captain weighed up the club’s reshaped engine room – potentially built around Kobbie Mainoo and new signing Youri Tielemans, with Carlos Baleba also linked – and drew a hard line between “good” and “good enough to win the league.”
“I think that’s a good way of putting it, a good midfield,” Keane said when asked if Baleba’s expected arrival would complete the unit. “But if you’re on about winning the league, I think it’s short.”
Mainoo’s emergence under Michael Carrick last season impressed Keane, who accepts United now carry genuine depth and threat between the lines. The attacking numbers back that up; United carried a real punch once Carrick stepped in.
“That midfield and going forward, there is a big goal threat at United, they were very good last year with it,” he noted. “Especially when Carrick took over they were a real goal threat.”
Defence still the “big issue”
For Keane, any talk of a title charge collapses the moment you look behind that midfield screen.
“United’s big problems are still going to be defensively,” he warned. “The issue is at the back, the full-backs and the two centre-halves are still a big issue.”
On paper, he accepts the names in midfield carry weight. On grass, in a 38-game slog against a Manchester City or an Arsenal, he simply doesn’t see a championship core.
“But on paper, they [the midfield] jump out as really good players,” he said. “But is there a league-winning midfield there? Probably not. No, I don’t see it.”
Tielemans praised – with a ceiling
Keane did welcome the profile of Tielemans’ £35m move, especially compared with the club’s recent habit of handing out huge contracts to ageing stars such as Casemiro.
“Tielemans is a safety bet for United,” he said. “Over the last few years, Casemiro is a good example, players have come in huge money, big wages.”
This, in his eyes, is at least a smarter gamble. Tielemans knows the division, has international pedigree and has already shown he can walk into Old Trafford and play with authority.
“Tielemans knows the Premier League, is a good international, having gone to Old Trafford with Villa and had success he will be fine with the expectation,” Keane added.
But the ceiling, he believes, is clear.
“But will he get United to the very top? No.”
United may finally be building a sensible midfield. Keane’s verdict is blunt: until the back line is fixed and the middle of the pitch contains not just good players but dominant ones, the Premier League trophy will stay out of reach.
