Gary Neville has called on Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim to stop constantly changing his starting lineup after United’s 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
The loss saw United suffer back-to-back defeats under Amorim for the first time since his appointment, with Forest securing their first win at Old Trafford in 30 years.
United fell behind early with Forest’s Nikola Milenkovic scoring from a corner. Though Rasmus Hojlund equalized, a series of defensive mistakes allowed Forest to regain the lead, and Chris Wood’s header extended their advantage.
Fernandes did manage to pull one back for United, but it was not enough. Amorim’s decision to make four changes to his starting lineup and five substitutions during the match was highlighted as a key point of criticism by Neville.
“When you keep changing players, when you keep changing your back three, you’re basically saying to all of them you don’t trust them,” Neville said on NBC Sports.
Neville drew a comparison with Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca, who has established consistency by using different lineups for the Premier League and Conference League.
“Maresca is doing it now at Chelsea, sending a message to players that there’s stability here,” Neville explained. He believes that this approach is key to building patterns of play and team chemistry, which United currently lacks.
The former United defender also noted that consistent player rotation leads to a lack of familiarity and stability, preventing players from developing chemistry and understanding.
“You need to build patterns together, you need to build an idea of what you’re doing together,” Neville said.
Neville emphasized that Amorim, like his predecessor Erik ten Hag, needs to settle on a preferred starting XI. “Pick an eleven that you think are the best,” Neville urged.
He noted that, despite some of the team’s mistakes, United’s first-half performance had a clear shape to it, which was lost once changes were made after the break.
Neville also pointed out that the line-up chosen against Forest, aside from the absence of Luke Shaw, looked close to United’s best possible XI.
However, the constant changes throughout the game led to a disjointed performance, culminating in what Neville described as a “scruffy” and “messy” display in the final stages.
Ultimately, Neville’s message was clear: for United to improve, Amorim must show more trust in his players and settle on a consistent lineup.
“You’re just juggling plates all the time,” Neville said, referring to the impact of constant rotation. “There’s no consistency or familiarity that can build with players if you’re changing players in all areas of the pitch.” For United to find success, stability in team selection is crucial.