Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has delivered a damning verdict on manager Ruben Amorim's tactical choices, following a deeply frustrating 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.
A Night of Frustration at the Theatre of Dreams
The result, which saw Joshua Zirkzee's first-half opener cancelled out by Ladislav Krejci just before the break, was met with a chorus of boos from the home support. The anger was palpable at both half-time and full-time, with fans remaining in their seats to voice their displeasure as players conducted a post-match walkaround.
Neville, analysing the match for Sky Sports, revealed the discontent was sustained. "They weren't just booed at full-time… the fans waited in the stadium to continue to boo them," he stated. The draw leaves Manchester United in sixth place in the Premier League, now two points adrift of the top four.
Neville's Critique: System and Selection All Wrong
Central to Neville's criticism was Amorim's persistence with a system he believed was flawed from the outset. He expressed astonishment that the manager deployed Patrick Dorgu at right wing-back, despite the player's impressive performance in a more advanced role against Newcastle United just days earlier.
"I thought Dorgu was so good on the right wing against Newcastle… He could come in on his left foot, he looked more inventive," Neville explained. "As soon as I saw that shape was going to be played… I've seen Zirkzee playing in that right channel before and it just doesn't work."
The eight-time Premier League winner labelled the overall display "the baddest of the bad" and argued that Amorim had overcomplicated his team selection. Neville outlined what he believed was the "obvious" best starting XI available to the Portuguese coach, given current injuries and AFCON absences.
His proposed line-up featured Benjamin Sesko up front, with Matheus Cunha left, Dorgu right, and Zirkzee in a supporting role. The defence would comprise Luke Shaw, Ayden Heaven, Lisandro Martinez, and Diogo Dalot, with Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro in midfield. "It's really obvious that that's the team that should be picked," Neville insisted.
'Bizarre' Substitutions Compound the Problems
Neville's frustration extended to Amorim's in-game management, which he described as "bizarre". He singled out the decision to substitute goalscorer Zirkzee at half-time for 18-year-old academy graduate Jack Fletcher as particularly puzzling.
"The substitutions made us worse, they made Manchester United worse. Every single substitution was bizarre," Neville said. "If Zirkzee wasn't injured and that was a tactical substitution then it was a really poor one… he needed to be out there for physicality, for presence, for experience and he'd scored."
Neville concluded that the manager must shoulder significant responsibility for the poor performance, suggesting Amorim would need to reflect and admit "I got that wrong and I complicated it." He emphasised that at a club like Manchester United, performance and entertainment are non-negotiable for the 75,000 fans who regularly fill Old Trafford.
The pressure now mounts on Amorim and his players to respond swiftly. Their next challenge is a Premier League clash away to bitter rivals Leeds United this weekend, a fixture where they will be desperate to win back a measure of respect from their disillusioned fanbase.
