Gary Neville gave his verdict on Manchester United following the 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, and while he says there are still big questions over the midfield, he does not think there is any need to panic.
Goals from Pedro, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante condemned Jose Mourinho’s side to a thumping defeat and left them seventh in the Premier League, six points off the top after nine matches.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast following the full-time whistle at Stamford Bridge, Neville highlighted poor performances from Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera in midfield and believes Paul Pogba is still confused over his role.
He says Mourinho still does not know his best team but has backed the manager to get it right. Here’s what he had to say…
There are still issues in midfield
NEVILLE SAYS: “I think one of the things that was different for United compared to Monday night (against Liverpool) was they had control in the midfield, with Fellaini and Herrera alongside each other.
“Fellaini played so high in the game today. I am not sure if that was something he was told to do, but it just didn’t work. It meant he was detached from Herrera who seemed to be exposed and for United it was not a good 45 minutes.
“I know Fellaini has had a lot of stick over the last couple of seasons with people saying he is not a Manchester United player and it is obvious to see his lack of quality in certain areas, but I thought today he was really poor.
“In the first half he had a really terrible game and it was no surprise he came off and I think Herrera dropped a level after being brilliant at Anfield.
“Pogba is no doubt confused. He has been signed for such a huge fee and I look at him and it was a difficult day for him. It was difficult for him at times at Anfield as a No 10, so at the moment, I think Jose Mourinho is trying to find a way to incorporate him and when you sign a player for that level of money, you somehow have to make it fit.”
Mourinho is still building his team
NEVILLE SAYS: “I have to say when I look at United I still don’t know what their best XI is. Mourinho is still early in his reign, he is identifying his best players, his best XI, his best partnerships.
“To be fair, United have to trust him and will trust him to get it right over the next couple of transfer windows, because if you look at their midfield, they have Pogba, (Morgan) Schneiderlin and Fellaini; that is £170m spent on central midfielders in the last three years and I still don’t know which is the best pairing. Mourinho has got to try and build a pair or replace them.
“There is a lot of work to do for United, but as a United fan I am not alarmed. I thought that they would be better at the start of the season. Maybe that was a thought of Mourinho having a massive impact, but when you look at it today, that’s not a Jose Mourinho team at all.
“He has got to work with them, he’s got to get more out of them. He can’t do anything over the next three months and it will be difficult in January.”
There’s a lack of preparation time
NEVILLE SAYS: “Chelsea can have great confidence going forward. Antonio Conte has got time, Jose Mourinho hasn’t.
“This is not comparing apples and apples, but Mourinho is rebounding off one game, three days later into another. That is completely different to having three weeks to prepare.
“It feels like those Manchester United players will need a free week but they are not going to get it, because they have Manchester City coming to Old Trafford so they have another big game coming thick and fast.”
There’s no need to panic
NEVILLE SAYS: “There will be a massive over-reaction to the game, Jose Mourinho will come under huge pressure and it will be ramped up ahead of the derby on Wednesday. I am quite relaxed.
“When you are a Manchester United fan for 30 years, for 50 years, you are going to have difficult times like these and you have to accept when they come along and be mature about it.
“They have got a fantastic manager who has been proven in every league in Europe nearly, and they have to allow him to do his job methodically over the next two to three years, get it right.
“There has been some poor management, some poor recruitment decisions and there have been players signed who are not Manchester United players. I am not talking about talent, I am talking about profile.
“Pogba and (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic are more Manchester United players in my mind in terms of personality and the physical aspect, so I do think ultimately Mourinho is on the right track in terms of recruitment.
“They have got to continue to do that and they have got to move away some of the previous, which will be difficult because they are on big contracts, but he doesn’t panic in the transfer market.”
