Was Roy Keane right to say Manchester United lack belief?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have come under fire from former captain Roy Keane. Pictures: PA

Imagine being one of Manchester United’s greatest ever players and not making the grade as a manager, even in the Championship. Embarrassing, eh?

Maybe Roy Keane’s inability to translate his brilliant career as a player into coaching success drives his frustration with Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side.

Maybe he feels he should be in the Old Trafford hot seat ahead of his former team-mate. Maybe he thinks he should still be playing for them, dominating the midfield like few before or after him!

Either way, Keane’s latest post-match outburst came in the form of an accusation that Solskjaer and his players are throwing away Manchester United’s first genuine title challenge in nearly a decade by failing to believe in themselves.

For anyone who missed it, this is most of what he said in the wake of Saturday night’s goalless draw at Arsenal.

“I am scratching my head with United. The worry watching them was they looked like they lacked the belief they could go and win the game. It’s Man United! 

“You’re looking at Arsenal who are missing a few players. That doesn’t guarantee anything but the game was there for the taking. 

“Overall their performance lacked intensity. There was a real lack of quality today from Man United, and a real lack of conviction and desire to go and take the game to Arsenal.

“Imagine playing for Man United and having a lack of belief you can win a game of football.”

Keane’s criticism came at the end of a week in which United dropped points in a shock home defeat by bottom of the table Sheffield United before a goalless draw that failed to match the pre-match hype. Two games after topping the table, United are three points off new leaders Manchester City and have played a game more.

No wonder Keane is pointing the finger at the Norwegian manager who was harshly dubbed a glorified PE teacher when United were struggling for form earlier this season.

More dropped points at home to Southampton tonight and even a top four place and Champions League qualification will be questioned.

But Keane and other former team-mates such as Gary Neville need to keep their heads. Since when were United supposed to be challenging for the title this season?

But who is he having a pop at? The manager, his players, or both? And is he right or just going off on one for the sake of it?

Solskjaer was known as the Baby Faced Assassin as his angelic looks masked a deadly eye for goal and a win at all costs mentality as a player.

It is an edge he has not lost as a manager, however much he might not convey it in public.

Unlike Keane, I had the privilege of being one of the few fortunate enough to be at the match and the United dugout and socially distanced substitutes were sat right in front of me.

I did not have the benefit of television analysis and replays from every angle, but what I saw was a team trying to win, believing they could win — that was why they were so disappointed with the result in their post-mtch interviews, regardless of the 18-game unbeaten away record. I do not know if the tv cameras picked up Solskjaer shouting at Marcus Rashford to have a go at Arsenal left-back Cedric. “Run at him, he can’t defend?” he blasted.

No lack of belief there.

Did the cameras show Rashford’s relentless runs off the ball, looking for an opening to score? Did they fairly illustrate Bruno Fernandes covering every blade of grass, shouting at his team-mates to switch positions and up the tempo and push for victory?

If they did then Keane has missed the target or a lifetime of watching top flight football — not just the highlights or close ups — has taught me nothing.

We are in agreement that a prolonged title challenge has probably come too soon for this set of United players and their manager, but they are closing the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool faster than most expected.

Keane should be mindful of his earlier appraisal of his former team-mate. For it was the proud Old Trafford legend who argued for Solskjaer and his players to be given more time when Jamie Carragher suggested he should be sacked in the not too distant past.

United were only a Bernd Leno finger tip away from winning on Saturday, so now is not the time for anyone to lose their faith, or nerve — certainly not from the warmth of a television studio.