“It was obvious”: Gary Neville pinpoints exactly what Michael Carrick got wrong in Man United’s derby day defeat | OneFootball

4

Manchester United lost in controversial circumstances at Old Trafford to Manchester City, compounding their miserable start to the season.

Disheartening afternoon

The Red Devils had a huge advantage when Phil Foden was sent off after just 23 minutes, but fell behind in the second half after Erling Haaland’s goal was awarded, having initially been given offside.

The refereeing body later publicly admitted the call was wrong and the goal should not have stood, but United still could not break down ten men for 70 minutes of action.

United now find themselves with four points from four games in a terrible start to the new campaign, after the positivity of last season has evaporated with each match.

Gary Neville

Speaking to Sky Sports, the former United player turned pundit gave his two cents on the match.

He explained, “I’d like to think that they’re not concentrating and focussing on the refereeing decisions and they’re focussing on the work they need to do on improving their performance.”

Neville continued, “what you don’t want to do is give football players or anybody excuses. That’s it. So they’ve got to go out there tomorrow, or whenever it is that they start training again, and begin to think about what happens when they go down to ten men again.”

Michael Carrick caused further confusion in the Manchester United fanbase by selecting Matheus Cunha ahead of Benjamin Sesko in the number nine role, and Neville believes he took too long to try and rectify this decision.

He said, “I think Michael Carrick maybe will reflect upon the fact that he could have made changes earlier. When you know for 20 minutes before half-time that it’s not going your way with 11 men, I think then Sesko should have come on straightaway to be a bit more of a battering ram up top.”

Neville elaborated, “it was obvious it wasn’t quite working. He made the substitution eventually after 67 minutes which only left Sesko with 25 minutes so things like that will be reflected on and analysed I’m sure. That’s what they’ve got to concentrate on.”

United do not have long now to recover from this loss, with the games coming thick and fast as the Red Devils will host Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday night in the Carabao Cup.

They then have one match before the international break, a trip to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham.