Man Utd will not make top six next season, predicts Keane

Manchester United have not made progress under Ruben Amorim and are unlikely to challenge the Premier League's top six next season, believes former captain Roy Keane.

United played out a tepid 0-0 draw with neighbours Manchester City on Sunday, a result that leaves them 13th in the table with 38 points.

They are closer to 17th-placed Wolves, who are six points behind them, than they are to the top half, with Bournemouth 10th on 45.

Since Amorim took charge in November, United have failed to score in eight Premier League matches. Only Leicester City, who appear destined for relegation, have failed to net more often in that span (12 times).

United only hit the target with two of their 13 shots against a below-par City side, creating chances worth just 0.91 expected goals (xG).

And while Keane appreciates that Amorim is going to stick with his favoured 3-4-3 system for the long run, he does not believe they have shown signs that an upturn is imminent. 

"I'd like to be proven wrong and United are in the top five or six next season and I would take it all back, but I don't see it," Keane told Sky Sports after the City game.

"I've seen a few live games lately. I saw Forest the other night, I was kicking my cups of tea over. They were neat and tidy but were never going to score. No goals again today.

"The manager is going to stick with it. That's the gamble he's taking. He will no doubt get an opportunity to get players in the summer, then we will be able to judge him better.

"I don't ever remember sitting with the players I played with where we discussed our philosophy. We would find different ways to play. 

"If they were going down that road and they were picking up results and scoring plenty of goals, fine, but I don't see it. My eyes don't lie to me."

Since Amorim's first game in charge, a 2-2 draw at Ipswich Town in November, United have gathered just 23 points from 20 Premier League games.

Only Southampton (six), Leicester (seven), Ipswich (12) and Tottenham (21) have picked up fewer points in that time. United's 25 goals in that span are fewer than everyone but Leicester (11), Southampton (16), Ipswich (19), West Ham (22) and Everton (23).

Keane believes there is enough quality in United's squad to do better, adding: "I know United beat Leicester and Real Sociedad, but you look at the last few games and you go: this is not good enough.

"Forget the United teams I played for, forget the top three or four teams, they're competing with Brentford, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Wolves...

"Are you telling me Manchester United should be behind them? The majority of these players should be doing better than the teams I just mentioned."

Keane's former team-mate Gary Neville, however, believes they need at least five new players before visible progress will be made.

He singled out Rasmus Hojlund – who has one goal in his last 16 league games – and fellow forwards Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho as players that need to be replaced.

"I do understand why Ruben Amorim's done that today, with the players he's got, because he hasn't got the players to adapt," Neville said of United's cautious approach.

"They need five new players before you even think about the rest of it. The three up front are not good enough, or the two wing-backs.

"They need to serve him with five players who are good enough in this system to be able to play the way he wants."