Gary Neville has publicly urged Manchester United manager Michael Carrick to stop shielding his players after the Red Devils produced yet another lackluster performance in their 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Speaking on Sky Sports’ co-commentary panel, Neville did not mince words, labeling the opening fifteen minutes of the second half as "the worst fifteen minutes I have ever seen Manchester United play".
During that brief spell, United suffered a bizarre own‑goal when defender Lisandro Martínez inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, and later, Matheus Cunha’s late strike, which deflected off a Fulham defender, forced a draw that denied United a third consecutive league defeat. The result followed a series of setbacks: a loss to Manchester City the previous Sunday and a humiliating exit from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Brighton in the third round. Throughout the match, Neville observed a noticeable lack of urgency and energy from the United side, even though Carrick has consistently dismissed any suggestion that his team were "passive".
Neville’s criticism was blunt: "I have never seen a Manchester United side give up possession as readily as they did in that period. Michael keeps insisting there is nothing wrong with the team's energy, but that narrative has to stop.
He is loyal and wants his players to succeed, but the truth is that the squad is far from where it needs to be this season." He went on to compare the two teams, describing Fulham as "mannequins" in contrast to United’s sluggishness. "I have never watched United move around the pitch with such a lack of alertness, no sense of aliveness, no 'on your toes' mentality. Players should always be ready to react.
Instead, they were drifting, allowing Fulham to string together 46 passes in the first few minutes of their possession and to generate their opening shot." Neville highlighted the timing of the international break as a potential turning point, saying, "The break comes at a crucial moment. United need a complete rebalance of their approach. It is rare for me to accuse a team of not working hard or lacking effort, because that is the harshest criticism you can levy on a group of professionals.
Yet in those first fifteen minutes of the second half – and for much of the first hour overall – United were a genuine disgrace, especially when they did not have the ball." He also suggested that Carrick may be saying one thing publicly while holding a different view privately, noting, "If Michael were saying something different behind closed doors, that would be worrying. People will question his leadership, but he knew the challenges when he accepted the job. There is no panic yet, but if United continue to produce performances of this calibre, Carrick’s position will become increasingly precarious." Neville reminded listeners that United have accumulated only five points from their first five league fixtures – a tally that matches their joint‑lowest start in a Premier League campaign, a record they previously set in the 2014‑15 season. He then turned his attention to the squad composition, arguing that the attacking talent on the roster is actually creating defensive headaches for Carrick.
"I wish the manager could field all of those creative forwards, but many of them leave the back line exposed. It's not just the back four; players like Mbeumo and Rashford drift too high and too wide, failing to tuck in when the team is under pressure.
Midfielders such as Tielmans and Mainoo lack the pace to cover quickly, while Baleba, Bruno, and Cunha tend to float rather than press." Neville summed up his concern: "You have five or six players who are far more effective with the ball than without it. They could score plenty of goals, but the defensive structure must be reset, because too many of them are simply walking around the pitch without contributing to the defensive shape." Cunha himself echoed the sentiment about a lack of energy, telling Sky Sports after the match, "It is frustrating. After we scored, we played with more character, but we need that intensity from the start.
One point is not enough; we should never settle for a single point. The opposition put in more energy than us, and we cannot accept that.
We must improve in every position. It is only the beginning. Last season we faced similar criticism, yet we finished third." Carrick, however, defended his side’s display, insisting they were not passive.
"I did not think we looked passive at all. Football is a complex game. We controlled large portions of the first half and produced good football. There are always 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 ninety minutes is unrealistic in this league," he said. Neville concluded that while United have the talent to win games, they must overhaul their defensive discipline and overall intensity. "If the team can combine the attacking flair with a solid, organized back line, they will start to collect the points they deserve.
Until then, the manager must stop defending his players and face the reality that the current approach is simply not good enough."