Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has been handed a sobering assessment of his team's capabilities, with a former player warning the club remains unprepared for a top-four challenge despite their improved recent form.
Late Drama Masks Underlying Issues
The Red Devils demonstrated their resilience on Saturday, coming from behind to snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw against Tottenham with a 95th-minute equaliser from defender Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch international found space at the back post from a late corner to secure a valuable point after it seemed Thomas Frank's side would claim all three points.
Spurs had taken a 2-1 lead with seconds remaining after Mathys Tel and Richarlison cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo's opening goal, making De Ligt's late intervention particularly crucial for the travelling supporters.
Former Star Delivers Cautious Verdict
Despite United enjoying a five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League that has lifted them to seventh in the table, former goalkeeper Ben Foster believes there's significant room for improvement if they harbour ambitions of Champions League qualification.
"They look like they're playing with a lot more confidence than they have done for most of this season," the ex-Wrexham shot-stopper told talkSPORT. "But I just think when you contrast it with the quality of Man City, for example, it's very evident there's still quite a way to go."
When presenter Jeff Stelling pressed him on United's top-four prospects, Foster responded: "I just think it's too competitive, I really do. There's probably a dozen teams in the Premier League who can realistically beat anybody on a Saturday."
Progress Amidst the Challenges
Despite his cautious outlook, Foster acknowledged that United have clearly stepped up a gear under Amorim following their poor start to the campaign. He suggested the squad is beginning to embrace the methods of the former Sporting Lisbon manager.
"We're seeing it all over the Premier League that putting a string of games together where you're winning consistently is really hard to do," Foster added. "Sometimes you just have to make sure you don't lose. For Manchester United, they would have lost that game earlier in the season."
The former England international highlighted a noticeable shift in mentality, stating: "They've all started to buy into it now from what the manager is saying. You can see when players play with that belief, that positivity and that confidence that you get better results for it as well."
The match at Tottenham brought a concerning development when summer signing Benjamin Sesko picked up a knee injury after coming on as a substitute. Amorim expressed concern post-match, stating: "We have to check. He had something in his knee, let's see. Because it's the knee, we never know. We need Ben to be a better team."
