The legendary defender blasted a "pathetic" lack of effort as Michael Carrick’s lethargic side relied on a fortunate late deflection to salvage a point at Craven Cottage.
Manchester United failed to win again for the third time in a week as they dropped points to Fulham on their trip to Craven Cottage.
A late equalizer from a deflection off Matheus Cunha's shot rescued a draw for Michael Carrick's side. The performance was once again flat and underwhelming, showing worrying signs going forward. Hopefully an extended international break will serve as a reset for the group as they approach a busy schedule.
United had a lot of possession but started the match slow. For the most part, the match was not very entertaining, particularly on United's end, and Fulham were the better team in periods.
Alvaro Arbeloa's side grew into the game in the second half and eventually found their breakthrough, taking the lead in the 63rd minute. They had began to create chances and put pressure on United, and they found their reward.
Calvin Bassey fired a shot towards Senne Lammens, which was saved by the Belgian, but it hit Lisandro Martinez awkwardly and a mix up between the Argentinian and his goalkeeper saw the ball find its way into the back of the net.
United then had to dig in to get back into the game but struggled to finish their chances. With just minutes left on the clock, Cunha's long-range effort looked ambitious but an unfortunate deflection for Fulham wrong-footed Bernd Leno and flew past him into the bottom corner. It was too little too late for United though, as they could not find a winner, making it just five points from a possible 15 in the league.
Gary Neville labels United as 'pathetic'
During live coverage of the match with Sky Sports, Gary Neville could not hide his frustration with United's performance. From the beginning, he pointed out how United were slow both on and off the ball and lacked general intensity to their play.
As the match went on, frustrations grew further and further. Michael Carrick did not make a substitution until after the 70th minute and the team could not find any kind of inspiration from anywhere.
After the own goal from Martinez, Neville slammed the team's performance in embarrassment.
"I've watched Man United since the age of five and that's the worst 15 minutes I've ever seen. Absolutely pathetic. I've never seen such a lack of effort. What must Carrick be thinking?"
The urgency did not particularly improve; if anything, it took a fortunate equalizer to spark them into life. After a week as disappointing as this has been, this was not the reaction we were looking for.
A terrible start to the season
Although a point is better than nothing, just one win in five matches is not a good enough start for Manchester United and it is not what Michael Carrick would have hoped for.
His side now sit 12th in the league, with five points in five games, already 10 points behind neighbours Manchester City at the top of the league.
The concerns that were raised about United's lack of activity during the transfer window now look more than justified. Carrick will get most of the heat but there are more than just one issue within the club as of now.
However, United's lack of identity and hunger are evident. There is now a long break before their next fixture, when they will face bottom of the league Tottenham Hotspur on October 10th. Things desperately need to improve as the start to this season has been embarrassing.
