Manchester United are sleepwalking into a top-four fight, says Gary Neville after Crystal Palace draw | Football News

Gary Neville says Manchester United are “sleepwalking” right into a top-four battle after their stuttering kind continued with a goalless draw in opposition to Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s facet produced a poor efficiency at Selhurst Park, solely mustering one shot on the right track and lacking the possibility to open up a three-point hole on third-placed Leicester.

United have been prime of the league in January however they’ve solely received two of their final eight Premier League video games, falling 14 factors behind Manchester Metropolis, who they face on the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Neville was dissatisfied by their “boring” efficiency in opposition to Crystal Palace and feels they’re placing themselves liable to falling out of the highest 4.

“We all know the followers aren’t within the stadium, we all know there’s been quite a lot of soccer, however they did look actually torpid tonight and nicely off it,” stated the Sky Sports activities pundit. “The physique language simply appeared actually drained.

“I believed that progress had been made in the previous few weeks and that they might cement that second place by choosing up three factors at locations like Crystal Palace and in opposition to Sheffield United and West Brom, however they’re now making it actually onerous for themselves.

“In the event you have been Liverpool or Chelsea watching that tonight you would be considering, ‘we’re in with a proper likelihood as a result of they appear leggy’.

“Manchester United have gotten to seek out one thing from someplace.

“There was no urgency on the finish of the sport. You anticipated United to be throwing every part at it. You anticipated possibly among the younger lads to return on and do one thing to try to win the sport, take an opportunity, take a danger, however there was virtually a worry that possibly Crystal Palace would go and counter assault.

“It wasn’t a great evening for United. You possibly can’t have too many performances like that.

“I at all times stated previously when Louis van Gaal or Jose Mourinho have been the supervisor, you may win, you may lose, you may draw, however you may’t be boring and that was boring tonight, watching that.

“They let video games drift for big intervals,” he added. “That is occurred within the large video games the place there’s been that lack of urgency and perception however now it is beginning to come in opposition to the groups on the backside of the league.

“They’re sleepwalking in video games. They’re considering that they’re okay, they may get a objective, as a result of many occasions this season they’ve performed badly in first halves of matches after which gone and received the second half. However now it is not taking place for them.

“You have to have performances. You’ll get outcomes generally whenever you play badly, however ultimately it can catch you out. You want performances.

“There was a second round Christmas once I thought performances have been beginning to come when [Edinson] Cavani had that run within the group they usually have been trying a bit higher, however now performances are dropping again to the place they have been earlier within the season they usually’re not getting outcomes with them.

“They have to watch out and turn into extra alert to what’s taking place as a result of they’re going to find yourself in a top-four race if they don’t seem to be cautious.

“They have been ready just a few weeks in the past to have a snug run to the tip of the season. They weren’t going to win the league, however they actually may have cemented that second place and made it straightforward for themselves.”

‘Poor motion guilty for Bruno struggles’

3:23

Bruno Fernandes endured one other troublesome night in opposition to Crystal Palace having struggled to achieve his common requirements in latest weeks however Neville feels he isn’t being helped by an absence of motion in entrance of him.

“He was sloppy from the primary jiffy and he isn’t been at his finest this final couple of weeks,” stated Neville.

“There could also be a suggestion that he is run himself into the bottom and that may very well be true however you have to have issues taking place in entrance of you as nicely and I believed Rashford on the left, Greenwood on the best, Cavani within the center, all of them stayed of their spots.

“Once you watch the actual implausible entrance threes, and even this entrance three at occasions over the previous few months, they’re working diagonally throughout one another, there’s motion.

3:03

“There was no motion tonight. They have been taking part in in straight strains which implies for Bruno Fernandes, these two in midfield, [James] McCarthy and [Luka] Milivojevic, by no means bought moved all evening.

“Gary Cahill’s been a implausible centre-back within the Premier League for a lot of, a few years however I did not see Greenwood or Rashford make a run in behind him.

“There was no motion, no urgency they usually have been static. Which means Bruno finally ends up being simply marked and simply picked up.

“They have been simply too inflexible tonight in that system and it ended up being too predictable and the one actual risk got here at factors when Luke Shaw got here ahead on that facet and put a bit of little bit of vitality into these overlaps.

“Apart from that, it was nowhere close to adequate. You will not create probabilities in matches if you happen to do not take dangers and you do not make runs in behind and that is what occurred to United tonight.”

‘United should change mentality and method to achieve prime’

United now head to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday having didn’t win any of their seven conferences with their big-six rivals within the Premier League this season and Neville believes a change of method is required if they’re to return to the highest.

“They have to have a again 4 that pushes up the pitch, they need to dominate possession.

“I do not assume they will ever be a Manchester Metropolis, I do not assume anybody who helps Manchester United needs that, however they need to play up the pitch they’ve to have the ability to be courageous and brave.

“At this second in time, this Manchester United group do not have the assumption in large video games to go and seize them by the scruff of the neck.

“They have to show that mentality into one which they need to win these video games relatively than considering’ ‘we’re okay right here with some extent’.

“They’re nowhere close to that stage however they are going to need to get there within the subsequent 12 months or else the supervisor will come below strain.

“There have been moments the place I’ve thought there was large progress. The document away from residence has been actually good. The resilience to have the ability to go 21 video games unbeaten is a few going.

“There are good issues which are taking place however you watch that tonight and also you assume it is a step again. They cannot have too lots of these.

They have to be on the entrance foot. You possibly can’t play counter assault and win the league. Leicester did it as soon as however what number of groups win the league by simply taking part in counter assault?

“You have to be dominant in video games and this group is just a bit bit too blissful to take a seat again and play slowly and play on the counter assault.”

Solskjaer: We have now to play higher

3:29

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer added: “It is not what we wish, however that is the soccer we’re taking part in in. We’re within the Premier League and you must play higher to win video games.

“We all know we’re in a battle to be as excessive within the desk as doable. You generally see outcomes that go the best way we do not count on.

“We all know we’re in a battle and we have to decide up each level we will.”