Liverpool great Graeme Souness feels Manchester United are title contenders.
Souness was speaking before United's 1-1 draw at Southampton.
He said: "I think they will go very close this year for the title.
"I think United will come close this year, whether they are good enough when push comes to shove, I'm not convinced yet, but we are making these statements after one game.
"I don't think you will succeed at a football club if you don't have good senior professionals.
"There will be periods at every football club, what this football club has gone through recently where you ask your leaders and your big players to stand up.
"When you are winning games, everyone is together but you only find out what you have got when you lose back-to-back games and that will happen to United, as it will to every team in the league this season."
Souness also queried the decision to fork £73m to sign Jadon Sancho.
"They have Sancho too, but like I said last week I don't know whether they need him as they have Greenwood who can fill in the wide areas."