{"id":629667,"date":"2023-09-20T06:52:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T10:52:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=629667"},"modified":"2023-09-20T06:52:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T10:52:06","slug":"gary-neville-man-utd-squad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/09\/20\/gary-neville-man-utd-squad\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Should Be a Lot Better&#8217;: Manchester United Club Legend Demands More From Current Squad"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The negative comments and opinions continue to pour in on Manchester United after a less-than-impressive start to the season. The current United squad is plagued by injuries, a common occurrence for many top sides but one which they should deal with due to the vast resources available to them. Last Word on Football will look at the latest comments from a former player and analyse the current Man Utd squad to see if all of this criticism is warranted this early into a new campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=&#8221;soe\/manchester_united&#8221; size=&#8221;350&#215;300&#8243; site_id=&#8221;lastwordonsports&#8221;]<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Club Legend Offers Verdict on Man Utd Squad After Summer Spending<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Gary Neville Speaks After Man Utd Beaten by Brighton<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A first home defeat since the first game of the 2022\/23 season will always give ammunition to any pundit wanting to speak out against the club. Neville has been an outspoken critic of the current ownership and the sporting model for a prolonged period.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/09\/19\/manchester-united-almost-signed-xavi-simons-psg\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Manchester United Almost Signed \u2018Generational Talent\u2019 in the Summer Transfer Window Before Last Minute Twist<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">He spoke again on\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uQKeT5uaJAA\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sky Sports<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, outlining his dismay that every manager of the club in recent times has had too much of a say on transfers during their time in charge, leading to a disjointed squad since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. It was towards the end of this piece that he made known that the business done in the summer transfer window was not sufficient to improve the current squad:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;The amount of money that Manchester United have spent on that squad, it should be a lot better.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;And they&#8217;ve signed Onana, they&#8217;ve signed Hojlund and they&#8217;ve signed Mount.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;And does that make them better than they were?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;The Hojlund lads got promise, but I feel for him a little bit that he&#8217;s been asked to carry almost the whole of the team.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Rounding off his opinion on the current state of the squad mid-way through September with the transfer window shut, he stated:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t look right at this moment in time, and it needs to stabilize.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Watch:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0What Manchester United to learn from Brighton<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What Manchester United NEED to Learn from Brighton&#039;s Success\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bP3YtY9bnpg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Stability Comes From a Solid Foundation<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That final comment about the need for the United squad to stabilise is where it is best to start.\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-12326373\/CHRIS-WHEELER-Man-United-Andre-Onana-Old-Trafford.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Andre Onana<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0was previously heralded as the most in-form keeper in the world after some impressive outings as Inter Milan reached the Champions League final. There have been questions asked about his shot-stopping ability, but I think he may need time to settle as the former Ajax goalkeeper is world-class and has proven himself at former clubs. Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton provide adequate backup if they are required to step in for first-choice Onana.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/09\/16\/erik-ten-hag-booed-man-utd\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u2018Out of His Depth\u2019: Man Utd Fans Blast Erik ten Hag After Another Defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The lack of stability through injuries in front of the keeper has likely affected his confidence, with Raphael Varane missing the defeats at Arsenal and at home against Brighton. If all of the current options were fit, Lisandro Martinez and Varane would continue what looked like a solid partnership, which helped the club to relative success last season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have been ridiculed at times, but both have put in big performances in top matches throughout their career and can step in when needed &#8211; with Jonny Evans signed to provide further cover. It could be argued a younger, more mobile defender could be drafted in as a replacement for Maguire, but with the England centre-back\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/sport\/football\/66520737#:~:text=Harry%20Maguire&#039;s%20move%20to%20West,was%20agreed%20between%20the%20clubs.\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">turning down a move<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0to West Ham, it seems he will remain at United.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The problem at full-back is currently all injury-related. If Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Sergio Reguilon, Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all available, the depth is as good as most sides in the Premier League this season.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Midfield Struggling to Play With Any Control<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It is hard to pass judgment until Sofyan Amrabat is in the United squad. Casemiro has struggled on his own at the base of midfield -but the Moroccan international provides a different set of attributes to those on display from the current options &#8211; providing a sense of control with his excellent passing range.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/09\/07\/ferdinand-united-amrabat-transfer\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Rio Ferdinand Thinks Man Utd\u2019s \u2018Disciplined\u2019 New Signing Will Sort Defensive Midfield Issues \u2013 And He May Have a Point<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Scott McTominay has played his best football on international duty, but if he can transfer some of those stand-out performances to the club scene, he should be a more than able deputy to the first-choice options.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount are more attack-minded midfield players, with the former Tottenham player capable of sitting in a slightly deeper role. There is a nice balance on paper that has yet to transcend itself onto the pitch. Fernandes and Mount can impact games, provided they are supported by deeper-lying midfielders.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Pressure on Rasmus Hojlund to Increase Productivity in Forward Areas<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The absences of Antony and Jadon Sancho are leaving the squad thin in attacking areas. Neither player has set the world alight at Old Trafford, but both are experienced wingers who always carry a threat. The amount of money spent on these players makes it unlikely that another winger will be brought into the club. Marcus Rashford can hold down the left wing with a promising deputy in Alejandro Garnacho &#8211; despite his ineffective cameos in the opening fixtures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/09\/12\/manchester-united-rasmus-hojlund-forward-goals\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Graeme Souness States New \u00a372 Million Forward is \u2018One Hell of a Gamble\u2019 \u2013 But He Is Overlooking Key Attribute<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Facundo Pellistri could be given more game-time so the 21-year-old may see more minutes as the season wares on, making it more appropriate to comment on his ability at a later stage. Anthony Martial can be an able backup for Hojlund, but the club would need to find a potential suitor if they were to bring in a replacement.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Time Is Required for United Squad to Lift Fortunes<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It may seem almost nonsensical to suggest the squad depth at United is better than many people are making out, but the quality is there. There has been a major problem tactically and a mounting injury list to contend with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It is not a perfect squad by any stretch of the imagination, but Erik ten Hag must start to get it right tactically. A shorter injury list over the coming weeks will also go a long way to reviving fortunes.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The negative comments and opinions continue to pour in on Manchester United after a less-than-impressive start to the season. The current United squad is plagued by injuries, a common occurrence for many top sides but one which they should deal with due to the vast resources available to them. Last Word on Football will look [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4692,"featured_media":629546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18,30,3],"tags":[4323,4315,2915,9794],"class_list":["post-629667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-manchester-united","category-news","category-premier-league","tag-andre-onana","tag-erik-ten-hag","tag-mason-mount","tag-rasmus-hojlund"],"modified_by":"Ricky Carroll, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/629667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4692"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=629667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/629667\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/629546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=629667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=629667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=629667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}