EPL: Neville slams Man United’s performance after Fulham draw

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Former Man United defender Gary Neville has criticised Manchester United’s performance in their 1-1 draw with Fulham, describing a poor spell after half-time as the worst he had seen from the club.

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United fell behind when Lisandro Martinez turned the ball into his own net just over an hour into the game, after a largely laboured display.

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Neville, who spent his entire professional career at United, was scathing in his assessment.

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As reported by BBC Sport on Monday Neville was quoted as saying, “I’ve watched Manchester United since the age of five and that’s the worst 15 minutes I’ve ever seen.

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“Absolutely pathetic. I’ve never seen such a lack of effort. What must [Michael] Carrick be thinking?”

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United eventually rescued a point when Matheus Cunha’s deflected effort found the net in the 89th minute.

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Cunha also suggested Fulham had shown greater energy at the beginning of the second half.

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“At the beginning of the second half they put in more energy than us,” he told Sky Sports. “We cannot accept this.”

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However, Carrick rejected suggestions that fitness was a problem for his team, pointing instead to their strong finish.

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“The way we finished the game, actually, it didn’t look like that,” Carrick said. “We finished the game really strong actually, and kept pushing. I don’t think that’s an issue, no.”

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The draw came after a difficult week for United, who had already lost the Manchester derby before surrendering a two-goal lead against Brighton.

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United now have five points from their opening five league games, leaving them 12th in the table.

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Cunha later referred to the “noise” surrounding the club, while Carrick urged his players and supporters to remain focused.

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“It’s still a big season ahead. It’s a long season and you’re going to have spells through a season. That’s part of the journey.”

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He added: “I’m not playing it down, you know. We wanted more points, so I’m not saying everything’s great. I understand the frustration.”

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Carrick also praised the United supporters despite the growing frustration.

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“The supporters were unbelievable today, I have to say, all the way through, and stuck with the boys and supported them,” he said.

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“At least we’ve given them something small at the end to take from it, and I’m sure there’s more to come.”

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