Gary Neville has strongly criticized Manchester United's performance during their recent draw at Fulham, urging manager Michael Carrick to abandon his defenses of the players. Neville, speaking as a co-commentator on Sky Sports, described the team's opening 15 minutes of the second half at Craven Cottage as the "worst 15 minutes I have ever seen Manchester United play."

During this period of poor play, Manchester United conceded an own goal from Lisandro Martinez, followed later by a deflected strike from Matheus Cunha. This result came after recent losses to Manchester City and a Carabao Cup exit against Brighton, with the draw at Fulham characterized by a notable lack of urgency and energy.

Neville observed that he had "never seen a Man Utd team walk out of possession as much as that," directly contrasting with Carrick's post-match assessment that the team's energy levels were not an issue. "Michael has got to stop defending them," Neville stated. "I get why he's defending them; he's loyal, he wants his players to work for him, and obviously there's a long way to go in the season."

He further elaborated on the team's lack of dynamism, comparing both teams to "mannequins" and noting a pervasive lack of alertness and readiness. "You should always be on your toes. Always shifting up two or three yards. They were just walking when Fulham were in possession," he added.

Neville did not mince words regarding the overall performance, calling the first 60 minutes, particularly the first 15 of the second half, a "genuine disgrace" and "nowhere near good enough without the ball." He suggested that Carrick's public statements might differ from his private discussions with the team, acknowledging that questions will be asked of the manager but emphasizing that persistent poor performances could place him in significant trouble if players do not increase their effort.

Personnel Issues Hampering Defensive Structure

Neville also highlighted the challenges United's attacking talent poses to their defensive stability. He expressed a desire to see more attacking players on the field but cautioned that their defensive frailties could be detrimental. He pointed to issues with players like Mbeumo and Rashford being too high and wide, failing to track back effectively. Midfielders Tielmans and Mainoo were described as "one-paced," and with Bruno and Cunha also drifting, Neville identified five or six players who are "better with the ball than without the ball."

He concluded that a significant "reset" is needed regarding the team's defensive structure, as too many players appear to be "walking on the pitch" and not contributing sufficiently when the team is out of possession.

Cunha's Perspective on Energy Levels

Fulham's Matheus Cunha echoed Neville's sentiment regarding energy levels, telling Sky Sports, "It is frustrating for us. After the goal, we played much better and had a lot of character. It needs to be from the start. It is only one point but we should never play for one point."

Cunha added, "They put in more energy than us, we cannot accept this. We need to do our best. We need to improve in every single position. It is only the beginning. Last season was the same, with noise around, but we finished third."

Carrick's Counterpoint

Conversely, Michael Carrick did not agree with the assessment of his team being passive. Responding to questioning from Sky Sports, he stated, "I didn't think we did [look passive]. Did you think we were passive? Football is a difficult game."

Carrick asserted that his team controlled large portions of the first half and displayed good football. He acknowledged that teams experience spells where things do not go their way, citing the Fulham goal as potentially involving a foul on Cunha and being subject to deflections. He concluded that expecting total dominance for an entire game in the Premier League is unrealistic.