Neville claims Carrick has ‘got to stop’ using £52m Man Utd star in a position he doesn’t ‘understand’
Gary Neville has explained why Michael Carrick needs to “stop” playing Manchester United star Leny Yoro at right-back.
Man Utd fended off competition from Real Madrid and others to sign Yoro from Lille for around £52m during the 2024 summer transfer window.
Yoro joined Man Utd with a big reputation, but he has only been a bit-part player at the start of this campaign.
So far this season, head coach Michael Carrick has preferred Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez at centre-back, and Yoro came on as a makeshift right-back in the closing stages of last weekend’s 2-2 draw against Everton.
And Neville thinks Yoro contributed to Man Utd dropping two points against Everton after Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored a last-minute equaliser.
“Manchester United are conceding two goals a game, you can’t concede two goals a game,” Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.
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“With the questions asked since the transfer window regarding the defence, United needed to win today and they couldn’t concede goals. Lazy analysis will say they conceded two spectacular goals.
“The Maitland-Niles goal is a really bad one. Dorgu for some reason chases out and presses, an isolated press. It gets played past Dorgu – it’s a massive mistake, a lack of communication.
“United had to change their back four during the match. Yoro coming on at right-back highlights the problem – he plays so narrow.
“A lot happens before the ball goes in the net. When you’re playing away holding onto a result, you have to push up and don’t do stupid things.
“They could have stopped the goal at source. I was screaming as it happened as they had to be organised, they weren’t organised in the final few minutes.”
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“We’ve got to stop bringing him on there…”
Now, Neville has doubled down on his criticism of Yoro, claiming Man Utd have “got to stop” using him at right-back.
“[On Manchester United’s use of Lenny Yoro at right-back] I don’t think he understands right-back, which is fine, a lot of centre-backs don’t,” Neville said (as cited by Manchester Evening News).
“But we’ve got to stop bringing him on there and thinking he’s a right-back.
“My feeling is Michael [Carrick] maybe sees him as a more defensive right-back option, similar to what Liverpool did last night [with Ronald Araujo] given their issues at right-back.”
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