Despite scoring Manchester United's opening goal, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane was less than impressed with Fred's performance versus Tottenham on Sunday.

What did Keane say? 

The former Red Devil was on analysis duty for Sky Sports alongside Jamie Redknapp and Micah Richards and Keane didn't hold back in his assessment of Fred, as quoted by Metro journalist Matthew Nash

"It was just as well Fred scored... I thought he was dreadful," the ex-United midfielder said on the broadcast. 

How did Fred perform against Tottenham? 

The Brazilian seemed to be at the heart of the action for United on Sunday afternoon, as the midfielder recorded more touches, 96, than any Red Devils player, according to WhoScored

The 28-year-old, who takes home £120,000-a-week, also put in a shift defensively and recorded four tackles in north London. Only Aaron Wan-Bissaka managed to complete more tackles than the central midfielder that afternoon. 

Fred contributed with two shots on target and one key pass offensively. Furthermore, in the lead-up to his goal, the former Shakhtar Donetsk man performed some intricate link-up play with Edinson Cavani, and later converted the rebound from the Uruguayan's effort at goal. 

Based on his performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Fred was awarded a WhoScored average rating of 7.93, the second-highest for United behind Paul Pogba. 

Was Keane's criticism of Fred justified?

Based upon the statistics surrounding his performance, Keane's analysis was somewhat harsh. 

However, according to WhoScored, Fred was dispossessed on three occasions and also gave away two fouls, so perhaps the goal glossed over some shortcomings. 

However, to label his all-around performance as "dreadful" does seem to be slightly dramatic and not a true reflection of his overall impact. 

Do United need an upgrade on Fred this summer? 

Although Fred provided a solid display against the Lilywhites, you can't help but think United would benefit from signing a truly elite deep-lying midfielder this summer. 

That would allow Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to play just one holding midfielder rather than Scott McTominay alongside Fred, giving room in the starting XI for someone more creative to play nearer to Bruno Fernandes. 

West Ham star Declan Rice has been linked with a move to Old Trafford and having emerged as a key player for club and country this season, he seems like a wise candidate to fulfil that role. 

The Red Devils have a unique advantage in trying to sign Rice, as they can use Jesse Lingard as part of the deal to lure him to Manchester.