Gary Neville has publicly urged Manchester United manager Michael Carrick to cease defending his squad after the Red Devils produced yet another lacklustre display in their 1-1 draw at Fulham. Speaking on Sky Sports' co-commentary panel, Neville blasted the second‑half interval at Craven Cottage as "the worst 15 minutes I have ever seen Manchester United play," a damning assessment that underscores the growing frustration surrounding United's recent form.
During those fifteen minutes, United suffered a bizarre own‑goal when Lisandro Martínez inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, only to be rescued later by a late, deflected strike from Matheus Cunha that secured a point and prevented a third consecutive league defeat. The draw follows a string of setbacks, including a heavy loss to Manchester City on Sunday and an early exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Brighton. In each of those matches, observers noted a persistent lack of urgency, energy and intensity from the United side, especially when pressed deep in their own half. Neville did not mince words after the match.
He argued that United's players appeared to lack effort and that the team must begin to work harder for Carrick. "I've never seen a Manchester United side walk out of possession as much as they did," Neville said.
"Michael has just said there was nothing wrong with the team's energy, but I think he needs to stop defending them. I understand his loyalty – he wants his players to back him – yet the season is still young and there is a long way to go." He went on to describe the team's movement as robotic, likening the players to "mannequins" that simply drifted across the pitch without alertness or aliveness. "There was no sense of being on your toes," Neville continued.
"Both teams were the same in terms of shape, but United seemed to be walking rather than running when Fulham had the ball. Fulham completed 46 passes in the opening minutes of the second half before their first shot, and United rarely pressed beyond two or three yards from the ball." Neville highlighted the timing of the international break as a potential reset point, suggesting that United could use the pause to address the imbalance that has left them looking passive for large stretches of play. He admitted that he rarely labels a side as lacking effort, because it is the harshest possible criticism for a group of professionals, but he felt compelled to do so after witnessing United's performance in the first hour of the match. "In those first 15 minutes of the second half – and for the majority of the first 60 minutes – United were a genuine disgrace.
They were nowhere near good enough without the ball," he said. Regarding Carrick's public statements, Neville noted a discrepancy between what the manager says to the press and what he may be saying privately.
"Michael is of course saying something different to us than he is saying privately. That would have really worried me.
People will ask questions about him, but he knew that when he took the job," Neville observed. He added that while there is no immediate panic surrounding Carrick's position, continued poor performances could quickly erode any remaining goodwill: "If those types of performances continue, he will find himself in a lot of trouble. They have to work harder than that for him." Neville also dissected United's personnel issues, suggesting that the very players Carrick prefers to field may be contributing to the defensive frailties. "I wish he could play all of those attacking players, but they are going to kill him defensively," Neville said.
He pointed out that forwards such as Marcus Rashford and new signing Karim Mbeumo tend to stay high and wide, failing to narrow their positions and help the back line. In midfield, he criticised the lack of pace among players like Tielman and Mainoo, while noting that newcomers such as Baleba, Bruno Fernandes and Cunha tend to float around without a clear defensive purpose. According to Neville, United now have five or six players who are arguably better with the ball at their feet than without it, creating a paradox where attacking flair is offset by a porous defensive structure. "It would be great to see them score loads of goals and maybe concede one or two, but there has to be a reset from a defensive‑structure standpoint because there are far too many of them just walking on the pitch," he warned.
Cunha himself echoed some of Neville's concerns after the match, telling Sky Sports that United lacked energy at Craven Cottage. "It is frustrating for us. After the goal we played much better and showed character, but we need that from the start," Cunha said.
"It is only one point, but we should never play for a single point. They put in more energy than us; we cannot accept that.
We need to improve in every position. It is only the beginning.
Last season we faced similar noise, yet we still finished third." Carrick, however, defended his team's performance, insisting United were not passive. "I didn't think we looked passive. Did you think we were? Football is a difficult game," he told Sky Sports.
He highlighted United's control of much of the first half and praised the quality of football they displayed. "There will be spells when things don't go your way. The goal they scored involved a foul on Matheus and two deflections – it went their way.
Expecting total dominance for the entire game is unrealistic in this league," Carrick added. Statistically, United have accumulated only five points from five league matches this season, matching their joint‑lowest start in a Premier League campaign (the previous low was also five points in 2014‑15). The club's early-season struggles have sparked intense debate among supporters and pundits alike about the direction of the team under Carrick, the effectiveness of the recruitment strategy, and whether a tactical overhaul is required to restore the United identity that fans cherish.
In summary, Neville's blunt assessment underscores a growing impatience with United's lack of intensity, poor defensive organization, and the perception that Carrick is shielding his players from criticism. Whether the manager will adjust his approach, tighten the team's shape, and demand greater effort remains to be seen, but the pressure is certainly mounting as the season progresses.