Gary Neville has described a 15-minute spell during Manchester United's 1-1 draw at Fulham as the worst he has seen in 46 years of watching the club, citing an 'absolutely pathetic' lack of effort from the players. The result leaves United with just five points from their opening five Premier League matches, sitting 12th in the table, while Fulham remain winless in 19th.
Neville's scathing assessment of United's performance
Speaking on Sky Sports, the 51-year-old former United defender did not hold back in his criticism of the team's display at Craven Cottage. 'I've watched Man United since the age of five and that's the worst 15 minutes I've ever seen. Absolutely pathetic,' Neville said. 'I've never seen such a lack of effort. What must Carrick be thinking?'
Neville was particularly struck by the players' apparent lack of urgency, which he found baffling. 'I'm finding it really hard about the walking about. You should never walk around on a football pitch. It's bizarre,' he added. 'It's a few minutes of the blue mannequins playing against the white mannequins and then it switches around, bizarre football match. Neither side will go anywhere with this lack of urgency. Just look at them: They are walking!'
Carrick's position and player criticism
Neville stopped short of blaming manager Michael Carrick directly, instead expressing sympathy for the coach. 'If I was Michael Carrick I'd be worried about the message the players are sending him, coming out of the half time talk with this lack of urgency is remarkable,' he said.
Former United player Ashley Young echoed similar sentiments after the match. 'They were too slow, they were walking, they were jogging, there wasn't enough urgency in the game,' Young said. 'I wanted to see more passes being risked in the final third. It was too slow.'
Match details and season context
The match saw Lisandro Martinez score a comical own goal before Matheus Cunha's late deflected effort rescued a point for United. Despite the equaliser, the performance was widely criticised, with much work remaining for Carrick's team.
United have now won just one of their first five Premier League games, collecting five points. Fulham, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win of the campaign, leaving them 19th in the standings. The result highlights the challenges facing both clubs as the season progresses.
