Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville believes Manchester United’s 1-1 draw at Leeds could be a “stepping stone” but has warned that Michael Carrick will have a problem if his side are still 13th in the Premier League come January.
United have just seven points from seven league matches, winning just one of those, which is their fewest number of victories at this stage of a top-flight season for 40 years.
Despite extending their winless run in all competitions to six games with the draw at Elland Road, the performance was much improved, with Carrick’s tactical tweaks making his side more compact and defensively solid.
Neville agreed with the United head coach’s assessment that Sunday’s performance at Elland Road was a step in the right direction.
Speaking on the Gary Neville podcast, the Sky Sports pundit said: “[There’s] a depressed standard and a low expectation right now.
“But it’ll feel like a stepping stone for Michael Carrick, and it’ll feel like the first step on the ladder in the Premier League.
“They may take some confidence from that, and there might be a blueprint there. Maybe we have to bring Matheus Cunha, Marcus Rashford and others off the bench, and we might just have to have a go at being more solid.”
‘Carrick’s got a problem if Man Utd 13th in January’
United’s paltry points return has them sitting 13th in the Premier League after seven games, already five points adrift of fifth place, which was enough for Champions League qualification last season.
Neville says there is no need for panic just yet but feels United have to show signs of improvement over the next few weeks otherwise Carrick could find himself in hot water come the new year.
“I would say fourth would be a birdie, fifth would be par, and sixth would be a bogey,” said Neville of his former club’s targets for the season. “But they can’t finish outside the top five, because then you’re missing out on Champions League and it becomes a vicious circle.
“Then you can’t get those players because they want to play in the Champions League and you can’t get the money from it and you’ve lost the £60m-£70m and you’re in the Europa League on Thursday nights.
“Fifth is a must for Michael Carrick to continue to grow and Manchester United continue to grow with investment.
“If they’re 13th in January, he’s got a problem because then you are what you are. Whereas I think it’s still early enough, seven points from seven games, to say, ‘okay, still early in the season’. You can’t say that after 15 games.
“It has to change in the next few weeks: Bournemouth is really important and Chelsea away. And how he manages the games in between that.
“You’ve got to say fifth. You know that anything less than fifth is going to be a disappointment and a dropping standard from the start of the season where everybody expected them to finish.
“And at the moment, they’re well short of that because you look at Brighton, Liverpool, Aston Villa – they look like they’re picking up a little bit. It’s difficult.”
‘Baleba staying fit is going to be critical’
Carlos Baleba made his Man Utd debut against Tottenham
Neville has seen encouraging signs from Carlos Baleba’s start to life as a Manchester United player and feels the midfielder staying fit is crucial for Carrick this season.
Signed from Brighton for £70m at the end of the summer window, the 21-year-old arrived with an ankle injury that has kept him from featuring until he came on in the second half of last Saturday’s 1-1 draw against 10-man Tottenham.
Baleba has started the last two games, at Atletico Madrid and Leeds, and brought an added steel to United’s midfield alongside fellow summer-signing Andrey Santos.
“I know he had a difficult season last year at Brighton, but you watch him in his first couple of games or so for United, and he’s got something,” said Neville. “He’s got a bit of strength about him, he’s got a presence.
“Him staying fit is gonna be absolutely critical, I can understand why Michael Carrick took him off with 20 minutes to go [at Leeds], because he’s played [nearly] three games in a week.
“Maybe he doesn’t play him against Como on Wednesday. We’re not throwing the Champions League away, but Manchester United have to beat Bournemouth next weekend.
“I just wonder whether that Santos-Baleba partnership is going to stay there for a bit, and let a couple of [the attacking players] float around in front, and be a lot more solid, make sure we’re not giving as much space away.
“I’m sick of Manchester United’s team being easy to play against, and Michael Carrick will be sick of it.”
Man Utd’s next six fixtures
Como (A) – Champions League – Wednesday October 21
Bournemouth (H) – Premier League – Sunday October 25, live on Sky Sports
Chelsea (A) – Premier League – Saturday October 31
Roma (H) – Champions League – Tuesday November 3
Aston Villa (H) – Premier League – Sunday November 8, live on Sky Sports
Liverpool (A) – Premier League – Sunday November 22, live on Sky Sports
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
