Gary Neville believes Manchester United’s summer transfer activity was a “shambles” and said the club still needs to back Erik ten Hag by strengthening every area of the team.
United took steps forward in improving their defence and midfielder over the summer, with signings like Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro, although I think the manager would still like to bolster his back four and midfield three.
Neville has rightly questioned why each signing over the summer took so long. I remember writing a piece back then about how most of our signings came with sagas that were dragged out by the media.We shouldn’t forget how United chased Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong for over 100 days, only to fail in their quest to sign Ten Hag’s primary target.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Overlap, Neville said: “I think [Ten Hag] has had a very good start in difficult circumstances. The transfer window was a shambles.
“Many may feel at the end they got it right through Casemiro and Antony but those players should have been with him at least a month or two before.”
It problem helps explain why it is taking slightly longer for Ten Hag to implement his preferred style of football on the players. At least he isn’t looking for excuses by ensuring that United are winning football matches.
Neville added: “The money that’s been spent, you’re still looking at it thinking they still need to strengthen in all areas. I don’t think there’s any area in the team you wouldn’t think at this moment that the club don’t need to strengthen.”
Neville went on to say he feels United’s front players were the weakest among the top six, and he has a point. The Red Devils have scored 13 goals in 18 Premier League games which is fewer than Brighton, Fulham, Brentford, Leeds and Leicester City. Antony and Marcus Rashford are the only two players to have struck at least three goals in the league.
“I think United’s front players they’re the least talented out of the top six,” Neville continued. “I think I’d swap every other clubs’ – Chelsea is the only one [possibly not]. You think of the money they’ve spent on Sancho, who doesn’t always play, Martial, who is in and out.
“We’re at a point now where we’re relying on Martial to come back. He had been written off by 99.9 per cent of United fans as being a player who would no longer contribute to the club or feature.”
Do you agree with Neville? Let us know in the comments section.
