Manchester United are still not a convincing project even under new manager Erik ten Hag, according to Gary Neville.
The former Red Devils right-back has given a firm and frank assessment of how his old club are looking under their new manager this season, and it’s clear he is yet to be won over by this team.
Ten Hag will surely need time to make the wholesale changes that are so badly needed at Old Trafford, and Neville has highlighted one significant area of weakness in the Man Utd playing squad.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the former England international singled out their attack as the weakest of the Premier League big six, which seems like a fair point.
“It’s a dip. Overall, I’m not wholly convinced by United at all. This idea that United are back, they’re not. They’re nowhere near Man City,” Neville said.
“They’re more watchable and have got a bit more fight. [Christian] Eriksen has brought real quality in midfield and [Lisandro] Martinez has done fantastic at the back, he’s brought real tenacity.
“But they keep getting injuries at the back and that’s a real problem. Also, United’s front three are the weakest out of the top six in my opinion.
“I think Ten Hag is getting the maximum out of them. He needs two or three years in the job and a few transfer windows. There’s signs they’re getting better but they’re not back.”
United have only scored 18 league goals so far this season, with Manchester City scoring more than double that so far, while even teams like Leicester City, Fulham and Brentford have scored more.
With Cristiano Ronaldo looking past his best as he approaches his 38th birthday, and the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho proving inconsistent, it’s hard to argue with Neville’s analysis here.