Neville: 'Man Utd played below even school level'

Former defender Gary Neville criticized Manchester United as the worst club in the Premier League in off-ball situations, following their 2-2 draw against Liverpool in matchday 32 on April 7th.

"Manchester United's style of play is insane. Some of the things you see on the pitch wouldn't even be seen at school level," Neville commented after the match at Old Trafford. "Their defensive structure goes from stable to suddenly empty in midfield. The players press on their own without any coordination. You have players standing over the ball during throw-ins, and the ball is thrown behind four defenders."

Despite the 2-2 draw, Man Utd were still outplayed by Liverpool. The home side only controlled possession 37%, taking nine shots with five on target – compared to Liverpool's 28 and seven. The difference was evident in the first half, when Liverpool unleashed 15 shots with four on target, while Man Utd had zero. This was the first time they had experienced this situation in the Premier League since their match against Liverpool in April 2022, and the first time at home since 2015.

Forward Luis Diaz was fouled by Diego Dalot during Manchester United's 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the 32nd round of the Premier League at Old Trafford on April 7th. Photo: Reuters — Forward Luis Diaz was fouled by Diego Dalot during Manchester United's 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the 32nd round of the Premier League at Old Trafford on April 7th. Photo: *Reuters*

This season, Liverpool have had a total of 62 shots on goal across two Premier League matches against Man Utd, with 34 at Anfield and 28 at Old Trafford. This is the highest number of shots by a team against a specific opponent over two legs in a single season since 2003-2004.

"All the things you see, if you want to, are the easiest things in football, and Man Utd do them terribly," Neville continued. "You really can't coach performances like that. Man Utd rely on individual moments, luck, goalkeeper saves and defenders blocking. That's what we saw from them against Liverpool. I don't think it's a lack of effort. The whole team doesn't lack desire, but their actual performance is too poor."

According to Neville, the final matches of the season are an opportunity for Ten Hag to impress new owner Jim Ratcliffe, and the Dutch manager needs to quickly establish a style, system, and model of play. The former England defender believes Man Utd are exhibiting bad habits such as poor structure, defensive errors, and leaving many gaps in their last three matches – draws against Brentford and Liverpool, and a loss to Chelsea. He emphasized that such performances will lead to the manager's dismissal.

"No team in the league is as bad as Man Utd when they don't have possession," Neville continued. "That's why Man Utd are letting opponents shoot so much, and that has to stop quickly. This has been a strange week for Man Utd. They are a strange club. Sometimes it's fun, exciting, but it's crazy."

Manchester United's defense under threat from Szloboszlai. Photo: PA

After the match, Ten Hag said he was proud of Manchester United's performance, which angered another former player of the club – Roy Keane. "Clearly, Ten Hag had a few drinks after the game," the Irish legend sarcastically remarked. "I don't know how strong the alcohol was, but Ten Hag was genuinely optimistic and I admire him for that. Ten Hag saw something I haven't seen at this moment. Manchester United played like a mid-table club, a small club, and you don't understand how they're going to play."

Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool only have themselves to blame for failing to secure three points. "They lacked sharpness in their finishing at crucial moments," commented the former England defender. "Liverpool should have finished the game early. It's certain Liverpool dropped two points."

Jamie Redknapp shared his perspective and pointed out the disappointment clearly visible on the faces of the Liverpool players after the match ended. "Manchester United will be happy with a point, while Liverpool should have been 3-0 up in the first half. They had so many chances and dominated the game," Redknapp said. "Liverpool will be angry because it was a game where they had so much control."

Hong Duy

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