“They will be really disappointed:” Gary Neville points out core reason why United failed to win against Burnley

Manchester United were held to a 2-2 draw in what was an eventful match with Burnely at Turf Moor on Wednesday night. While this would normally be viewed as a disappointing result, Man United did well to hold their own given the ongoing instability at the club. Ruben Amorim was sacked on Monday, meaning that interim manager Darren Fletcher had just one day to gel with his team before this evening’s fixture. Although there were several positive aspects of the match for United to draw from, former club captain Gary Neville has identified what he believes to be the main reason for United’s failure to come away with three points. Dominating on paper United utterly dominated the hosts on paper, retaining 65% possession and firing a massive 30 shots on goal. In contrast, Burnley had just seven attempts. (Sofascore) It was a particularly impressive showing for Benjamin Sesko, who showed his keen eye for goal with two fabulous strikes to hand United the draw. Still, it wasn’t all smiles from the United camp. Neville criticised his former club soon after the final whistle blew. BurnleyManchester United Ball possession35%65% Expected goals (xG)0.242.25 Big chances04 Total shots730 Goalkeeper saves60 Corner kicks26 Fouls98 Passes310579 Tackles1815 Free kicks89 Yellow cards20 Where United went wrong Commentating on Sky Sports, Neville was complementary to Sesko. After the Slovenian scored his second goal, Neville remarked: “It has been a tough start to his Manchester United career but that is a really good finish. He has got between the two centre-halves all night.” Shifting focus to the team as a whole, he admitted that, “Manchester United have been really good in the second half.” Still, the former United captain pointed out a massive issue in their defence. “Manchester United were better in the second half but they will be really disappointed with the second goal. They have to defend it better,” he explained. “It is another two points dropped against teams near the bottom of the league. They have dropped so many points in the last few weeks.” When Burnley scored their second goal, it was clear that the defence was switched off. After all, it was a shot from a far distance which could have been easily saved if either one of the defenders of goalkeeper Senne Lammens were aware of what was transpiring. Neville’s observation is one that United should take to heart. Despite only conceding seven shots all night, United conceded as many goals as the hosts, who faced 30 attempts. Yet again, the visitors’ defence switched off at a crucial moment, which seems to happen all too often. This will surely be an issue that Fletcher will hope to tackle in training. Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Mathew Cohen A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.