Roland Cutinho
Manchester United icon Gary Neville warns Erik ten Hag of a midfield crisis after a horrendous display against Tottenham Hotspur
Gary Neville believes that Manchester United will face “big problems” if they fail to acquire a new midfielder before the transfer window closes.
This assessment comes after United’s 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, where they had opportunities to score but ended up conceding two goals in the second half.
It was quite evident that the Red Devils lacked a player who could hold the midfield together and avoid leaving empty spaces in the centre of the field.
The club’s current midfielders drew criticism from Neville, as he believes that the team needs to upgrade its options before the transfer window closes, or else they could face significant issues for the remainder of the season.
While talking in an interview with Sky Sports, the pundit said:
“Casemiro looks lost in midfield in these first two matches. What’s clear is that Manchester United’s midfield needs bolstering. Ten Hag wants a number six who can play alongside Casemiro and at the moment the club can’t get players out to be able to fund that.”
“If they look at the first two weeks, they have to fund it or there will be big problems. What’s clear is that Ten Hag doesn’t want to revert back to Scott McTominay.”
Neville’s observations are spot on, and even the fans would agree with the fact that United’s midfielders were looking completely lost, especially in the second half.
Although they did have some control of the game in the first half, Tottenham still had chances to make clear runs from spaces left in the centre of the field. Due to the sudden rush of United’s attacking players, Casemiro was often exposed, and the Brazilian couldn’t match the intensity of the opposition midfielders.
A lack of support made him look vulnerable a number of times in the game. Spurs’ stars Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr outperformed the former Real Madrid star due to their higher intensity. Although Mason Mount worked hard in the first half, his performance declined in the subsequent half.
Erik ten Hag’s side faced similar issues against the Wolves, and with every passing game, it has become clearer that the club needs to sign a new No. 6.
Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat could be the perfect one to complete the midfield puzzle, as the manager has not yet used Scott McTominay in the starting XI.
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We can’t rule out the fact that the manager might provide a chance for the Scottish star if he doesn’t find solutions in the current line-up.
With Kobbie Mainoo injured, the club needs to go all out to sign a new defensive midfielder before it gets too late to strike a deal. Neville is clearly hitting the nail on the head.
