Manchester United didn’t impress anyone in the 1-1 draw against Brentford, and in Gary Neville’s podcast, the former captain points to one thing in particular he didn’t like:
The way the team appeared without the ball.
– In football, you know that you can play badly, you know that you can lack players, you know that you can miss chances and you know that sometimes you don’t feel at your best. But it was a sad, sad attempt to play football in terms of working as hard as you can, says Neville.
“When Manchester United gave the ball away, their reaction was non-existent compared to all the other teams I see. They are really one of the worst teams you can see without the ball, in terms of making it difficult for the other team, he continues.
On Sunday, Arsenal held title rivals Manchester City to a draw at the Etihad after a solid defensive performance, something United were far from showing against Brentford, Neville believes.
– What we saw from Arsenal against Manchester City – the level of how you defend, how compact they were and the work ethic of all the front players to be a cohesive unit and defend together – we see none of that at United.
– I am not saying that the defenders or the midfielders are innocent, because they can do much better themselves, but they are not one unit at all. There is no understanding of how to defend or how to play without the ball, says Neville.
– It was just not very good and it is a worrying sign that the performances can come at such a low level, says Neville.
On Thursday, Ten Hag’s crew will have the opportunity to face Chelsea, before Liverpool visit on Sunday.
Before the national team break, United showed completely different tactics in the 4-3 victory over Liverpool, and Neville expects that we will see a different team on Sunday when they visit again.
– If Liverpool do their job, then Manchester United will be in big trouble. But it will be different. There will be something else there, a different feeling and a different glow.
