Gary Neville accused Manchester United of complacency after their 1-0 loss to a 10-man Everton, warning the performance will undermine confidence in Ruben Amorim and the squad. Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the decisive goal in the first half following the dismissal of Idrissa Gueye for striking teammate Michael Keane. The result made Everton the first side to beat United at Old Trafford in the Premier League despite having a player sent off. United were jeered at full-time and remain 10th, having squandered a chance to climb toward the top four.
Speaking on his podcast, Neville described the display as far below acceptable standards and embarrassing at times, ending United’s five-game unbeaten run. He suggested the players looked as if they were already picturing themselves in Champions League positions and therefore lacked the necessary intensity from kick-off. Neville warned that the lacklustre performance would set the team back and damage trust in both the manager and the dressing room, adding that the fans’ collective boos were justified.
Injuries to summer signings Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko forced Amorim to hand Joshua Zirkzee his first start for United since last April, but Neville dismissed fitness issues as an excuse. He argued Everton dominated the match both before and after their red card because of their fighting spirit and greater urgency.
Former defender Jamie Carragher also criticised Amorim, calling it a bad night for the manager and questioning why he did not alter his tactics after Everton went down to 10 men. Carragher said many will now scrutinise Amorim’s decisions, acknowledging players must improve but suggesting the manager will shoulder much of the blame.
Neville singled out tactical errors, questioning the substitution of Diogo Dalot while Patrick Dorgu and Luke Shaw were struggling, and condemning Shaw’s lack of urgency as he drifted forward instead of driving the attack. He said United needed a wider approach, more bodies in attacking areas and sustained, high-tempo crossing to create a presence in the box — none of which were delivered. Overall, Neville described the tempo and presence in the penalty area as insufficient and the performance as unacceptable.