Erik ten Hag has answered Roy Keane criticism but still needs to address Man Utd’s biggest flaw

Erik ten Hag’s wry smile at a journalist’s question probably said it all about Manchester United’s current trajectory.

The Dutchman was asked if his side, who have won three consecutive games for the second time this season, are sitting in their highest position of the term so far (sixth) and have scored 11 in the last three matches, are headed in the right direction.

“You didn’t believe me. No-one. I have seen all your briefings,” he chucked, addressing a gathering of journalists in a post-match press conference, many of whom have habitually criticised his decisions this season.

But there’s no denying it, United are improving. The 3-0 win over West Ham United on Sunday was the club’s joint-biggest victory of the season and with key players back from injury, and the front three suddenly firing, the Red Devils look best equipped of the sides outside the top five to make a late push for a Champions League place.

On four separate occasions in the last two months, fans may have walked away from United games reflecting on the best display of the season so far. That was the case when the Red Devils beat Chelsea 2-1 in December, while the wins against Aston Villa, Wigan Athletic and Wolverhampton Wanderers have raised the bar again.

The problem for United… it was a pretty low bar to begin with.

Even the aforementioned games could have gone very differently had Chelsea converted some of their guilt-edged chances, Villa adjusted their tactics and held onto a two-goal lead, while against Wolves the game had to be rescued by an injury-time winner.

As Ten Hag rightly pointed out after Sunday’s win, although the team are improving, there is still a long way to go.

Even the comfortable 3-0 win over West Ham highlighted certain fragilities, and the Hammers registered 22 shots at Old Trafford. Wolves could so easily have earned a point last Thursday, while League Two Newport County managed to take advantage of United’s porous centre and scored twice in the FA Cup fourth-round tie.

It’s that sparsely populated middle of the pitch that remains a major concern for United and supporters watching Mathes Cunha drive through the heart of the opposition midfield at Molineux may have had flashbacks to the season opener at Old Trafford in August. Six months on, Ten Hag hasn’t found a solution.

The answer seems so simple and, if Kobbie Mainoo were to drop 10 yards deeper and play alongside Casemiro, United’s middle would look more watertight. Yet, Ten Hag doesn’t seem to be keen on that approach, and it’s remarkable how many times this season United's deepest midfielder has been caught out with his two companions pushing high into the opposition half.

But it’s a tactic that is starting to pay greater dividends and the recent upturn in form has coincided with a clearer pattern of play from United, with diagonals into the wide areas, quick transitions and plenty of crosses, all while the team has looked more comfortable building up from the back. Lisandro Martinez’s injury will impact the latter aspect, though, which explains Ten Hag’s palpable frustration as he revealed the defender has suffered another serious injury.

Regardless, the former Ajax boss will hope the side’s recent improvement continues , even if his tactical set-up has left United struggling to maintain control over games. West Ham managed 22 shots and had 48 percent possession on Sunday, Wolves had 16 shots and 54 percent possession, while Spurs recorded 16 shots and a staggering 64 percent possession. 

“There's a lack of quality, a lack of control, a lack of belief in that squad,” Roy Keane said after the latter. “It's hard work watching Man United now,” he added, a little over three weeks ago.

A lot may have improved since then, but until United can gain greater control in midfield then Ten Hag’s detractors will not struggle to find reasons for criticism.

For now, the United manager is smiling, his team are winning, scoring goals and even his style of play has become more defined. Now, the big question: can they maintain this run over several weeks?