Gary Neville says Ipswich played like they have a “better coach” in a scathing assessment of Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge of Manchester United.
Marcus Rashford gave Amorim the dream start, scoring inside two minutes on Sunday, but the game finished 1-1 after Omari Hutchinson’s fine long-range strike levelled things up.
Much has been made of Amorim’s switch to a 3-4-3 system and the new Red Devils boss insists his players will need time to adapt to the new setup.
And as Jamie Carragher highlighted the “big problem” for Amorim, Neville claimed the “red flags” present under Erik ten Hag remain under the new manager.
“I mean, the red flags that were there yesterday have probably been there in the last few months and the last season and a half,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“It’s a team that is very difficult to actually like watching, and I say that with respect because I genuinely do believe what Ruben Amorim said at the end of the game.
“No football player goes out onto the pitch and wants to lose or doesn’t want to win or work hard or do well. They don’t want criticism.”
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Neville went on to claim that 18th-placed Ipswich – managed by former United assistant Kieran McKenna – looked the better coached side.
The former United defender continued: “But you watch them play, even yesterday, in the new system, and you look at Ipswich, who are very near the bottom of the league.
“They looked more organised, [like they had a] better coach, they looked like they had more appetite for the game and more enthusiasm.
“And that’s a constant, and it has been a constant, not just, obviously, on Sunday, but a constant for the last year and a half, two years, three years.
“So we’ve got a situation where these group of players, to be honest with you, have created a pattern for themselves and become what they are.
“And it wasn’t just a red flag yesterday because the same things that we’ve seen in the last six to eight months, 10 months, we saw yesterday.
“With Ruben Amorim being the manager, he saw it as well. I think he obviously knew how big a job this was. I think he recognised that yesterday.”
The Sky Sports pundit did though back United to improve under the Portuguese coach once more of his squad becomes available.
He concluded: “It will get better in the next few weeks because, like you say, that back five that he picks, and I’m not talking about the actual wing-backs here.
“I’m talking about the three at the back and the two in midfield. That will become more energetic and better when the personnel changes occur.
“But there’s a long way to go. I think Roy [Keane] yesterday said that Manchester United were an average team, and that’s being kind.”
