Manchester United's Midfield Crisis: Gary Neville's Shocking Analysis Reveals Dire Consequences After Tottenham Debacle
Manchester United's midfield concerns raised by Gary Neville after a dominant Tottenham defeat; Casemiro, Mount, and Fernandes outplayed, while Keane suggests reinforcements with Stapleton and Whiteside
Roy Keane has likened Manchester United to Tottenham, following their disappointing 2-0 defeat to Erik Ten Hag's team. Pape Matar Sarr's goal in the second half, along with Lisandro Martinez's own-goal, resulted in a disheartening yet warranted loss for United.
"They're absolutely desperate," Keane thundered. "The biggest insult that always comes to mind is teams that struggle away from home, players who lack determination on away grounds.
"They possess talent, they thrive on the presence of their home fans, benefitting from their support and the energy they provide.
Neville: Manchester United have to bolster in midfield
During his match commentary, Gary Neville expressed his concerns about Manchester United's current performance, emphasizing the need for the team to strengthen their midfield in order to address the challenges they have faced so far this season.Manchester United's luck ended in north London after a fortunate 1-0 win against Wolves on Monday Night Football. In the match, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, and summer signing Mason Mount were outperformed by man-of-the-match Yves Bissouma and James Maddison from Spurs, resulting in their deserved 2-0 victory. Neville expressed his opinion on Casemiro's struggle in midfield during these two matches and emphasized the need for strengthening Manchester United's midfield.
Ten Hag is seeking a number six player to join Casemiro, but currently, the club is unable to offload players to finance this move. Failure to secure funding within the first two weeks could lead to significant issues. It is evident that Ten Hag does not wish to return to relying on Scott McTominay.
Mount failed to impress in his debut against Wolves and remained anonymous in the match against Spurs, resulting in being substituted late on. Adding to the confusion in the midfield, Christian Eriksen's introduction from the bench did not improve the situation. Neville commented on the disarray caused by Bruno on the right and the ineffective functioning of the front three. He also questioned whether McTominay should be reintroduced, noting that Ten Hag had made five substitutions but did not utilize him, suggesting that McTominay might be deliberately phased out of the club.
Keane: Bring back Stapleton and Whiteside
When it came to the midfield, Neville had his concerns, but it was United's underperforming frontline that truly incurred Keane's scathing remarks.Despite Bruno Fernandes' obvious miss in the first half, United showed little threat in the goal-scoring department, and even when Anthony Martial came on for Marcus Rashford towards the end, there was no notable improvement.
"They're substituting Martial - might as well substitute Frank Stapleton and Norman Whiteside. Martial won't assist in overcoming the challenge.
"Rashford once again positioned at the center. Same old routine. He appears immature in that role. It's clear he's dissatisfied with playing there. His gestures and initial touches indicate a lack of desire to be in the center."
"But it is necessary. You must fulfill a responsibility for the team. Consider the captain, the seasoned players, and the experienced international athletes - they pose no challenge for you. That is the ultimate disrespect I can express towards these players of Man Utd."
