Gary Neville expressed disappointment in Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho after their lackluster defensive performance during the recent 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
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Neville highlighted the gap in work rate between United’s wingers and those from top clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool, noting how wide players in these teams work tirelessly to cover ground and support defensively.
While Neville acknowledged the young players’ credit for coming through United’s academy, he emphasized that fan support only goes so far when commitment to the team is lacking.
The game saw United narrowly take the lead through a penalty from Bruno Fernandes in the 70th minute after a foul on Rasmus Hojlund. However, Chelsea equalized soon after with Moises Caicedo capitalizing on a corner, leaving United with only three wins in their opening 10 Premier League matches.
Neville stated that while Rashford and Garnacho weren’t disastrous, they must show more off-the-ball commitment if United are to compete with England’s elite.
He called for more consistent defensive discipline, asserting, “I’m not interested in what they can do on the ball; I’m interested in the spirit to fight for the team all the way through the match.”
With Ruben Amorim set to take charge next week, Neville expressed hope for a fresh approach, urging the new manager to restore United’s traditional aggressive, front-foot playing style.
United’s poor start to the season has seen them slip to the bottom half of the table, and Neville stressed the importance of Amorim getting the best out of the current squad. He called for an end to the “underdog” mindset, pointing to clubs like Brighton and Tottenham as examples of teams that play compact, high-press football.
For Neville, it’s essential that Amorim instills the “attack, attack, attack” mentality that Old Trafford is known for and aims to reignite United’s ambitions by pushing players to fulfill their potential in the months ahead.
