Manchester United’s early-season struggles deepened following a frustrating 1-1 draw away at Fulham. While Matheus Cunha’s late, deflected strike rescued a point after Lisandro Martinez's horror own goal, the team's alarming performance sparked a ferocious backlash from club legend Gary Neville.
What Happened at Craven Cottage
United scraped a point in west London, but the result masked a deeply concerning display. The visitors managed just five points from their opening five league matches—equalling their joint-fewest at this stage of a Premier League campaign.
Following losses to Manchester City and a Carabao Cup exit against Brighton, the team showed a glaring lack of urgency. Neville, working on Sky Sports co-commentary, didn't hold back, labelling the start of the second half "the worst 15 minutes I have ever seen Manchester United play."
Why Neville Fired Back at Carrick
Speaking after the match, Neville directly challenged manager Michael Carrick for publicly defending his squad.
"Michael has got to stop defending them," Neville stated. "I get why he's defending them; he's loyal, he wants his players to work for him... But in those first 15 minutes of that second half, Man Utd and generally for the first 60 minutes, were a genuine disgrace."
Neville criticized the players for walking out of possession and lacking basic alertness, comparing them to static "mannequins" as Fulham easily dominated the tempo.
The Tactical Headache
Beyond effort, Neville highlighted a structural imbalance within the squad. He pointed out that key attacking personnel—such as Marcus Rashford and Bryan Mbeumo—are staying too high and wide without tracking back, leaving the midfield exposed and forcing players like Kobbie Mainoo to cover too much ground.
"There are far too many of them walking on the pitch," Neville added, warning that Carrick must find a defensive reset quickly before results jeopardize his position.
What's Next
While Carrick defended his side's control in the first half and rejected claims that they were passive, forward Matheus Cunha conceded that the team's energy levels simply weren't good enough. With an international break arriving just in time, United face an urgent internal review to fix their alarming defensive leaks and lacklustre work rate.
