Gary Neville has told Michael Carrick to stop publicly protecting his Manchester United players following the 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The former United captain expanded on his criticism of the team after describing one second-half spell against Fulham as the worst 15 minutes he had seen Manchester United play.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville argued that Carrick now needs to be more critical of his players when performances fall below the required level.
He said United have too many players who are “better with the ball than without the ball” and questioned the balance of Carrick’s team when possession is lost.
Neville highlighted the midfield combination of Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans, while also pointing to Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha operating with freedom further forward.
His criticism centred on United’s work without possession, with Neville arguing that too many players were walking rather than recovering quickly enough into defensive positions.
He said Carrick needs to reset United’s defensive structure and demand more from the players rather than continuing to defend them publicly.
The criticism followed a match in which United recovered from 1-0 down through Matheus Cunha’s 89th-minute equaliser.
United have taken five points from their opening five Premier League matches.
