Sports20 September, 20262 min read
Gary Neville Calls Manchester United Performance Absolutely Pathetic After Fulham 1-1 Draw
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Gary Neville called Manchester United's performance absolutely pathetic after the Fulham draw. Lisandro Martinez own goal gave Fulham a lead, prompting Neville's harsh reaction.
5 outlets told this the same way.
Neville blasts United, Carrick replies
Gary Neville said he had watched Manchester United since the age of five and called the team’s performance “the worst 15 minutes I’ve ever seen,” adding “Absolutely pathetic.” Michael Carrick said he did not think fitness was an issue, saying “The way we finished the game, actually, it didn't look like that. We finished the game really strong actually, and kept pushing. I don't think that's an issue, no.” Fulham took the lead at Craven Cottage after Lisandro Martinez’s own goal, and Matheus Cunha’s deflected effort in the 89th minute earned United a 1-1 draw. United had gone into the match with a poor run that included a 3-1 loss to Fulham at Old Trafford in October 2003, and Neville also pointed to recent defeats including 7-0 at Liverpool and 6-1 at home twice. United ended the game 12th after five points from five games, with Manchester City leading by 10 points.
Debate over effort and “noise”
Gary Neville said United “have walked for 15 minutes” and he urged Michael Carrick to “stop defending them” after Neville described the start of the second half as an “absolute disgrace.” Michael Carrick said he could shut out “noise” around United, and he said the supporters were “desperate for us to do the right thing” while he insisted he took “no negatives or offence” to booing. Kobbie Mainoo was taken off 11 minutes from time, and United fans followed up chants on Wednesday in disgust at the Brighton debacle by booing Carrick’s decision. Ashley Young said United were “too slow, they were walking, they were jogging, there wasn’t enough urgency in the game,” and he said he wanted to see more passes being risked in the final third. Carrick said he did not share the verdict that United were “too passive,” and he said “We controlled a lot of the first half” while describing spells in the Premier League where teams do not have total dominance.
Season pressure and next steps
Michael Carrick said “There’s still a big season ahead,” and he described the result as part of a longer journey after United went into the international break languishing in 12th place. Carrick said he wanted more points and said “I understand the frustration,” while he insisted “I think we did enough to win the game.” Neville said the match showed a lack of urgency, and he said “Neither side will go anywhere with this lack of urgency.” The Mirror reported Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa could face trouble with the FA after Arbeloa claimed refs “don’t like Manchester United to lose” as he was upset with some of Peter Bankes’ decisions. The BBC said United’s ticketing issues were instigated by the club’s touting crackdown, and it said United would release their full-year financial results to 30 June on Wednesday. The BBC also said Carlos Baleba was still to make his debut and Matthijs de Ligt was not involved, while Benjamin Sesko missed the game after a recurrence of a shin problem.