‘I still worry’: Keane unconvinced that United are full strength in two positions – despite spending £152m

Roy Keane is undoubtedly one of the most difficult Manchester United legends to please since he turned to punditry.

Ahead of the club kicking off their Premier League campaign at home to Fulham on Friday, he’s voiced his concerns over two particular positions in the squad.

“It’s always a worry for me about competing, and I still worry about the spine of that Manchester United team,” the Irishman told the Stick to Football panel in today’s episode.

“For all the nice play they have and good players, I still worry about the goalkeeper and striker. On paper, they have a decent squad, but the reality is when they’ve played games, and last year, with their record in the league, they were so open.

“If you’re on about competing, I worry about the spine of the team.”

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Why Keane’s doubts are slightly concerning

It’s a slightly worrying verdict, given that United have forked out £152 million to bolster both departments adequately.

Andre Onana was brought in from Inter Milan to succeed David de Gea following his exit last summer, costing £47.2m, while backup goalkeeper Altay Bayindir signed for £4.3m from Fenerbache.

In terms of forwards, £64m acquisition Rasmus Hojlund carried the brunt of the goalscoring burden almost solely in his maiden term due to Anthony Martial’s notorious injury woes. He netted 16 times across all competitions.

After Martial’s nine-year Old Trafford stay came to an end upon the culmination of 2023/2024, INEOS were quick to target a young striker who could provide coverage to Hojlund while adding to Erik ten Hag’s options up the pitch. Joshua Zirkzee was ultimately deemed the most suitable option – primarily due to his £36.5m price tag.

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Still, the former captain is of the belief that we’ll see a vast improvement on last season’s Premier League finish. He added: “I fully expect United will do a lot better than last year.

“They can’t finish eighth again, can they? They can’t be that bad. But we are talking about fourth here.”