Gary Neville has called on Michael Carrick to stop publicly defending his Manchester United players after another underwhelming performance saw the club held to a 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday.
A dismal spell that defined the game
United fell behind at Craven Cottage courtesy of a horror own goal from Lisandro Martinez before Matheus Cunha’s deflected effort rescued a point late on and avoided a third consecutive defeat in all competitions. Working as a co-commentator on the broadcast, Neville described the start of the second half as the worst 15-minute spell he has ever witnessed from a Manchester United side.
The result follows a defeat to Manchester City the previous weekend and a chastening exit from the Carabao Cup against Brighton, continuing a troubling pattern of low energy and a lack of urgency in matches, despite Carrick rejecting suggestions afterwards that his team had been passive.
Neville’s blunt assessment
Neville did not hold back in his criticism, saying he had never seen a United side surrender possession as readily as they did at Craven Cottage, despite Carrick insisting there was nothing wrong with the team’s energy levels. He labelled both teams “mannequins” and said he had never witnessed a United team walk around a pitch to that degree, with no alertness and no sense of urgency on the ball.
He explained that United appeared to be shifting positions by only a few yards at a time while Fulham had the ball, pointing out that the home side strung together 46 passes inside the opening minutes before registering their first shot. Neville suggested the timing of the upcoming international break could not have been better for United, stressing the need for a genuine rebalance within the squad.
He was careful to note that he rarely accuses a team of lacking effort, calling it one of the harshest criticisms that can be levelled at a group of players, but said United were a genuine disgrace for large parts of the match, particularly out of possession during the first hour.
A joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign
The draw leaves United with just five points from their opening five league matches this season, matching their joint-worst return at this stage of a Premier League campaign, a mark last recorded during the 2014-15 season.
Neville identifies a structural problem
Beyond the immediate performance, Neville pointed to a deeper issue with the balance of Carrick’s squad, suggesting the current group of attacking players is causing serious problems defensively. He noted that Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford tend to sit too high and wide without tracking back, while Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo offer a relatively one-paced presence in midfield, with Carlos Baleba likely to be introduced there in the coming weeks.
He added that Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha both tend to drift and roam rather than hold defensive discipline, leaving United with five or six players who are markedly better in possession than without it. While acknowledging it would be ideal to see the team score heavily and simply outscore opponents, Neville insisted a genuine reset in defensive structure is required, arguing far too many players are currently walking rather than working across the pitch.
Cunha and Carrick offer contrasting reactions
Matheus Cunha, who scored United’s equaliser, admitted the team lacked energy in the first half and said Fulham simply wanted the result more before United’s improved second-half showing. He stressed that a single point should never be the target and called for greater consistency from the very start of matches going forward, adding that the group needs to improve across every position on the pitch.
Carrick, however, rejected the idea that his side had been passive, arguing United controlled large parts of the first half and produced good spells of football. He pointed to marginal decisions, including a potential foul on Cunha in the build-up to Fulham’s goal and two deflections that went against his team, adding that total dominance for 90 minutes is not realistic for any side in the Premier League.
Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa also weighed in afterwards, suggesting key refereeing decisions had gone against his side and that officials appeared reluctant to let Manchester United lose the match.
Quick Facts
- Manchester United drew 1-1 at Fulham after Lisandro Martinez’s own goal was cancelled out by Matheus Cunha.
- United have taken just five points from their opening five Premier League games, their joint-worst start on record.
- Gary Neville described United’s display as a genuine disgrace for large parts of the match.
- Neville pointed to defensive imbalance caused by an attack-heavy squad lacking positional discipline.
- Carrick rejected suggestions his team had been passive during the draw.
- Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa felt refereeing decisions favoured Manchester United.
Manchester United now head into the international break under mounting scrutiny, with fans across Kenya and East Africa able to catch every twist of the season live on DStv SuperSport when domestic football resumes.
