Gary Neville has publicly urged Manchester United manager Michael Carrick to cease defending his squad after yet another disappointing display, this time in a 1-1 draw at Fulham. Speaking on Sky Sports' co-commentary, Neville did not mince words, labeling the opening fifteen minutes of the second half at Craven Cottage as "the worst fifteen minutes I have ever seen Manchester United play." In that brief spell, United suffered a bizarre own goal from defender Lisandro Martinez and then saw Matheus Cunha’s late, deflected effort prevent a second consecutive league defeat.
The stalemate came on the heels of a loss to Manchester City the previous weekend and an early exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Brighton. Throughout the match, Neville observed a noticeable lack of urgency and energy from the Red Devils, especially when they were out of possession. Carrick, for his part, dismissed any suggestion that his side were "passive," insisting that the players were working hard and that the team simply needed time to find its rhythm.
Neville’s criticism was blunt: "I've never seen a United side give up possession as much as they did in that period. Michael has just said there was nothing wrong with the team's energy, but that’s simply not true. He has to stop defending them. I understand his loyalty – he wants his players to succeed – but the truth is that the team was walking, not moving, when Fulham had the ball.
They were like mannequins, lacking alertness, aliveness, any sense of being on their toes." He went on to describe how Fulham were able to string together a series of long passing sequences, noting that they completed 46 passes in the opening minutes of the second half before firing their first shot. "I don’t know how many ten‑pass sequences they had overall, but the international break has arrived at a crucial moment. United need a rebalance, a reset of their approach." Neville stressed that it is rare for him to accuse a team of not working hard, calling that the ultimate criticism a player can receive. Yet he felt compelled to do so, saying, "In those first fifteen minutes of the second half – and for the majority of the first hour – United were a genuine disgrace.
They were nowhere near good enough without the ball." He also hinted that Carrick’s public statements differ from what he says privately, adding that this discrepancy would be worrying for anyone paying close attention. "People will ask questions about him, but he knew the challenges when he took the job.
There is no panic yet – no external pressure on Carrick – but if these performances continue, his position will become precarious. The players must work harder for him." United’s season to date has been underwhelming, with just five points from five league games – a joint‑lowest tally for this stage of a Premier League campaign, matching their 2014‑15 start. Neville expanded his analysis to the squad composition, arguing that the attacking talent, while abundant, is creating defensive headaches for Carrick.
He said, "I wish he could field all those attacking players, but they leave the team exposed at the back. It's not just the back four – the full‑backs, Mbeumo and Rashford, are often too high and wide, failing to narrow when defending. Midfielders like Tielmans and Mainoo lack pace, while Baleba, Bruno, and Cunha tend to drift rather than stay disciplined." According to Neville, United have too many players who excel with the ball but struggle without it, leading to a chaotic defensive shape. "It would be wonderful to see them score plenty of goals and maybe concede a couple, but the defensive structure must be reset.
Too many players are simply walking around the pitch, creating gaps for opponents to exploit." Cunha himself echoed some of Neville’s concerns, 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. It’s only one point, but we should never settle for a single point.
They put in more energy than us and we cannot accept that. We must improve in every position.
It’s only the beginning. Last season we faced similar criticism but still finished third," he said.
Carrick, however, pushed back against the narrative of passivity. "I didn’t think we looked passive.
Football is a difficult game. We controlled large portions of the first half and played good football today. There are 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 whole game is unrealistic in this league," Carrick argued.
Neville concluded that while Carrick’s defensive philosophy may have merit, the current execution is not delivering results. United need to find a balance between attacking flair and defensive solidity, tighten their midfield, and, most importantly, adopt a higher work‑rate when out of possession.
The upcoming international break offers a chance for reflection and tactical adjustment; failing that, the pressure on Carrick will only intensify as United’s season continues to falter.