"Man Utd's back four is going to have BIG problems" | Neville, Young & Bent discuss Man Utd

I mean, look, it's it's it's almost like the club has not got the money to be able to fix everything at once. So, last

season, they fixed the the attacking part of the pitch. They fixed the midfield in this one. It looks like the defense is going to come last. But I

would have really liked and maybe there's something happen in the next 48 hours. I would have really liked them to

hours. I would have really liked them to sign a fullback and a center back. We're

still seeing the same defenders that have times conceded lots of goals over the last few years and they are you can get at them and it gives you encouragement and if you IP switch today, you just want to get through.

Look, it'll be an onslaught. I would

imagine the first 20 minutes you think United are going to come out quickly.

But after 20 minutes, if you can silence the crowd, get to that point where there's a lull, you know, you might get one of these two chances on set pieces, United are vulnerable.

And that's the the thing if you are going to be weak defensively, you just need to keep the ball away from the the defense and that's where Manchester United, especially at home, could be really effective.

Yeah, I think so because again, last week against Ho was away from home, but I don't think the attacking areas, they kept the ball well enough, which is why it kept coming back. And then you look at obviously today at Old Trafford, you'd expect the attacking players to

come out really sharp, get out of the back line as well. It's going to be difficult for them as well. Huge

occasion and you'd expect a bit of bounce back. I think Manchester United

bounce back. I think Manchester United good teams usually don't really go back to back where you have such mediocre performances. So I think today the

performances. So I think today the attacking areas, Bruno, Fernandez, players like that, I'd expect them to be right.

They shouldn't have been shocked last week United by what they saw promoted team, but maybe they were that I mean there's no excuses, you know, I mean they they've not played well in the game. They haven't handled the battle

game. They haven't handled the battle and the fight in parts of the game, particularly the first half today. You'd

imagine there's going to be a big rebound off the back of that.

That idea about not matching the fight of of Hull City last week is one that was raised in a in a way to Michael Carrick after the game by Yanaga Foto as one of our our international colleagues

and he said, you know, he accused maybe them of of lacking passion, which Michael Carrick reacted very strongly to in a way that we we don't often see from him. So knowing him the way that you do,

him. So knowing him the way that you do, watching that performance and seeing that reaction, what did you make of it?

Look, it's the one thing that as a manager and as a football player, you never like your passion or your work ethic to be questioned because that you feel like that's a real attack. You can

play badly, you can make mistakes, think football players accept those types of criticisms. But when you actually say that a team are lacking passion, they're vulnerable, they're weak, then to be fair, you're going to get right to the heart of a manager and to the crux of

what he's there to do, which is instill a robustness to the team. But if you look at the stats, they were outfought on jewels. They conceded two goals from

on jewels. They conceded two goals from set pieces. You could see that they

set pieces. You could see that they weren't right for the game in the first part of it. And it's a fair question to ask and you're going to get asked it. If

Manchester United lose here today, then it's likely that to be fair, they're going to be very difficult questions coming at Michael Carrick. I mean, you played with Michael. I've played with Michael. Michael is the most um calm

Michael. Michael is the most um calm individual in the world. It's very

difficult to get him annoyed. So I was surprised by his reaction to Yanagortov's question because it is going to get asked when you look at the sort of stats around the jewels the headed clearances all those things the running stats the sprints you know whole

were higher in every single department and so he's going to get asked that question when you lose 2-0 and particularly to set pieces so even if you take the heat out of the word and maybe say that passion might be inflammatory question to to ask about

take that out and then and then Gary's points as to looking at the the numbers from the game do you think that the reaction shows that he is genuinely a little bit concerned erned about what this season might look like for Manchester United.

I think it was more so um you know, Michael's come in, he he is one he's big on working and working hard and he wants his teams to work hard. That was what Caros was like as a player. I'm sure

he's like that as as a manager as well that he wants the team to to work and and run and you know when you you see the team against Hull last week and you you see the stats, it's you know, he

won't be happy with that. Will will he have concerns?

I wouldn't say massive concerns, but he'll be worried about what he saw. Um,

and I think like Darren said, you're going to see a reaction today. If he

doesn't get a reaction today, then there's there's a problem because the fans won't have it, Michael won't have it, and it could be changing systems, could be changing personnel. Um, he's

going to change something. I'm sure

there's going to be a few changes in this team um to make sure that he gets the team running and working for each other. What about I mean Gary talked

other. What about I mean Gary talked about changes not just in personnel for for this game but maybe a couple of players coming in before the transfer window closed on closes on on Tuesday.

Do you think that's something they need to to seriously look at?

Yeah, of course it is. I think that you know they've made the four signings. You

know, he's brought in a player that's actually injured. Um, so he's he's got

actually injured. Um, so he's he's got to wait a few weeks for for him to to to get on the pitch uh on the pitch, but I'm sure that he's going to look at it and there's been players that have been brought in like like G said that in the

forward line, the midfield, but realistically, if you look at especially last week, it's the defensive side of things that needs to to be added to. And

I'm sure in the next couple of days, he's going to be um looking to add a few players into that defense to to to make the squad better, to make the squad bigger, because as well, we got Champions League football this season.

So, you need a bigger squad. You need

everyone at it. You need, you know, numbers to to get through them competitions. And, you know, like I

competitions. And, you know, like I said, I'm sure that he's going to be doing his work to get a few more players when you and look, we're only one game into the season and Manchester United about to get their season underway at at Old Trafford, which we expect will be a

very different proposition for the the teams that come to face them. But, but

you look at the start of the season and you you highlight defensive issues before the season started, then concede early against the newly promoted side.

So all the the momentum is is behind them in that game and Manchester United are sort of trying to to climb that mountain to get to get back into the game. They go 2-0 down trying to come

game. They go 2-0 down trying to come back again. Then they come back out and

back again. Then they come back out and then and then the next press conference for the manager is having to announce that one of the the new signings has got an injury and isn't going to be available. Does that can that kind of

available. Does that can that kind of thing start to derail a season a little bit from the off? Look, I I know we're only one game in and I'm not trying to kind of hype this up or but but it but it does feel like they're up against it

from from at the start.

Look, I'm quite optimistic about Manchester United's attack. When I see the likes of Kuna and Burmo and Cesco and and Bruno playing and Ahmad and Marcus Rashford, I think they're going to cause lots of problems for teams. So,

I can get quite optimistic about that. I

think the midfield, I think it will do a decent enough job. However, it's not harsh to suggest that Manchester United's back four at times this season is going to let you down and it's going to have big problems because we've seen that back four over the last two or

three seasons and we know what happens.

We know they're going to concede from set pieces. We know that they can't

set pieces. We know that they can't handle to be fair great massive pressure. They're not great to be fair

pressure. They're not great to be fair in terms of one-on-one. There isn't a definite center back partnership that you look at there and think, "Wow, that's amazing. That's going to be elite

that's amazing. That's going to be elite and deal with Champions."

Was you were feeling optimistic.

No, no. My [laughter] point is though, no. My point is though, look, in a

no. My point is though, look, in a perfect world, if you said to Michael Carrick, "What would you have done this summer?" He would have said, "Rebuild

summer?" He would have said, "Rebuild the midfield and I would rebuild the defense." Fact. But he's obviously, to

defense." Fact. But he's obviously, to be fair, last season they've spent whatever it is 150, 160, 170 million on attackers. They've spent 150 million

attackers. They've spent 150 million this year on midfielders. They're doing

it piece by piece. And that might be the sensible thing to do to sort of not overhaul everything at once. They have

got some individually decent defenders, but there isn't a back four there. And

when it starts to get put under pressure and it starts to pick up a couple of injuries during the season, it will let you down. And Michael knows that right

you down. And Michael knows that right now. So my point is if they could get in

now. So my point is if they could get in a center back and a fullback before the actual window closes, that will stop problems that we know we're going to see unless that back line and those players that have to be fair played like they

have for the last couple of seasons. I'm

not saying they've been bad all the time, but you just know full well in Champions League football, Premier League games, they will have problems and they will have issues. So you know, it's not being harsh. Everybody knows

it. I think I'm I'm amazed that United haven't had it at the back. I'm amazed

that Liverpool haven't added two fullbacks because they need two fullbacks. I'm amazed that these two

fullbacks. I'm amazed that these two huge clubs have not added in those areas. Um the all the other clubs seem

areas. Um the all the other clubs seem to have bought lots of players and spent well. You know, Arsenal strengthening

well. You know, Arsenal strengthening with concern. They don't even need one

with concern. They don't even need one really. I mean they've got Mascara, Ben

really. I mean they've got Mascara, Ben White Timber Celiba Gabrielle Califuriori, Luis Skelly, um Hin Capier.

They've got like seven already. They got

they're strengthening when they're absolutely at the top. Manchester United

and Liverpool aren't in that position.

I'm surprised at the windows these two great clubs have had.

Gary, thank you very much for coming up to join us. Sounding extremely

optimistic as you pointed [laughter] out there.

Get Liverpool in there. Just drag them down with us. You know what I mean?