Gary Neville has issued a strong message to Manchester United’s senior players, insisting they must step up and lead with more authority.
The former United captain believes the club’s experienced spine should be performing far better if the team hope to compete consistently under Ruben Amorim.
United’s momentum stalled at the weekend as they were held to a 2-2 draw by struggling Nottingham Forest, ending a run of three straight wins. And Neville did not hold back when discussing the performance.
He emphasised that United’s dressing room still holds plenty of seasoned figures who must shoulder more responsibility on the pitch.
“I think your spine of a football team is critical,” Neville said on The Overlap and Betfair’s Stick to Cricket. “When I first came into Man United, our spine was (Peter) Schmeichel, (Steve) Bruce, (Gary) Pallister, (Roy) Keane and (Eric) Cantona and so we were all scattered around it. I think (Harry) Maguire and (Matthijs) De Ligt should be doing a lot better than they are. You look at the experience that those two have got.
“De Ligt’s played a mountain of games at the highest level. Harry’s played so many times for England. You’ve got the midfield, Casemiro and Bruno have got massive experience. Up front, they haven’t got the experience. But to me, that spine of Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Maguire and De Ligt is ageing, but should be doing a lot better at holding it all together than they do.
“That’s why I think Liverpool are good because they’ve got Alisson, Van Dijk, they’ve got MacAllister and Gravenberch in midfield and then they’ve got obviously the centre-forwards that they’ve got.”
Neville’s comments underline growing expectations on United’s most seasoned pros to set the tone in big games. With rivals like Liverpool showing strong leadership at key positions, he believes United must raise their standard quickly.
With the title race intense and top-four competition fierce, all eyes will be on how United’s leaders respond in the coming fixtures. Their reaction could shape the rest of the club’s season and set the tone for Amorim’s long-term project.
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