Gary Neville was left furious with Manchester United during the first half of their Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
Ruben Amorim’s team went into halftime trailing 1-0 after Andre Onana failed to fully clear Lucas Bergvall’s shot, allowing James Maddison to score from close range.
Manchester United struggled in the first half, missing several chances, including a golden opportunity for Alejandro Garnacho inside the Spurs penalty area.
However, pundit Gary Neville was particularly critical of United’s tactical setup, pointing out how captain Bruno Fernandes was often out of position despite being deployed in central midfield.
With injuries and illness forcing changes, United’s bench consisted entirely of academy players, apart from defender Victor Lindelof.
Speaking on Sky Sports during the first half, Neville expressed his frustration:
“Just look at the distance between the two central midfielders—Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes. That cannot be right.”
“It breaks all the basic principles of football. Look at them—it’s absolute madness.”
“They may be capable of scoring goals, but the team’s structure is terrible. The gaps in midfield? That’s a tactical instruction—they’ve been told to play like that.”
“Bruno Fernandes is practically playing as a right winger. It’s embarrassing.”
“You wouldn’t see this even in under-9s or under-10s football,” Gary Neville continued his criticism of Manchester United’s tactical setup.
He suggested the issue stemmed from how Joshua Zirkzee played against Newcastle, frequently drifting to one side.
“What Amorim has said is, ‘You stay in there,’ but that creates an impossible situation for the two midfielders behind him. That space in midfield is shocking.”
Casemiro, making his first start under Amorim since the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle on December 28, had been an unused substitute in seven of United’s last nine games.
