‘Mad’ – Neville hits out at Man Utd star for ‘defying logic’ with Ten Hag’s tactics ‘schoolboy’
After drawing 2-2 with Liverpool, Gary Neville hit out at Manchester United as their “style of play” under head coach Erik ten Hag is “mad”.
Liverpool registered 15 shots during the opening half on Sunday as they dominated Man Utd at Old Trafford. Luis Diaz netted from a corner to break the deadlock after 23 minutes.
“It defies logic”
The Red Devils fought their way back into the game in the second half. Bruno Fernandes latched onto a loose pass by Jarell Quansah to score from distance before a stunning Kobbie Mainoo finish saw the hosts take the lead with 20 minutes to go.
The points were spared in the end as Mohamed Salah scored from the penalty spot to make it 2-2 with five minutes remaining.
This result did not help either side. Man Utd are sixth in the Premier League and 11 points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, while West Ham, Newcastle United and Chelsea are hot on their tails.
During the match, Neville was angered by Mainoo’s positioning as he failed to do “the basics of the game”.
“Look where Mainoo is there, he’s ahead of the ball on a throw-in. For a central midfield player I always think – and Bruno Fernandes, he had to run back,” Neville said on Sky Sports.
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“Forget about that [man-marking system], forget about Mac Allister, don’t be ahead of the ball. You can always get up to that one. He’s moving up there now, it defies logic and it’s the basics of the game.
“Even now he’s chasing across the pitch, he doesn’t need to. Garnacho and Hojlund can deal with that. Look at the space behind him – that space alongside Casemiro there. Mac Allister’s run into that space now. Just the basics.
“Look at where Casemiro and Mainoo have gone now, it opens up a path there. Honestly, it’s basics. Absolute basics. It’s so easy to play against Manchester United’s midfield.
“It’s the most bizarre and peculiar, and if you’re watching football or if you’ve played midfield – or any position on the pitch – you just know these are the sort of things you learn as a 12-year-old. Bruno’s gone there and he’s no chance of getting anywhere near that pass.”
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“You wouldn’t see it at schoolboy level…”
“Manchester United’s style of play is mad,” he later added on The Gary Neville Podcast. “Some of the things you see out there, you wouldn’t see at schoolboy level.”
He continued: “I don’t think it is any lack of endeavour. There is no lack of desire in the team. There’s just no sense to their actual performance levels.”
