Manchester United's recent 1-0 defeat at home to Everton has sparked heavy criticism, with former United defender Gary Neville branding the performance "an embarrassment" and the result "really bad". The loss, which occurred on Monday night at Old Trafford, ended United's five-match unbeaten run and dashed their hopes of breaking into the Premier League top four.
The match took an unexpected turn early on when Everton's Idrissa Gueye received a red card in the 13th minute for slapping his teammate, Michael Keane. Despite playing with a numerical advantage for 77 minutes, United failed to capitalize. Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored the decisive goal around the half-hour mark, securing an unlikely victory for the Toffees.
Neville, providing commentary for Sky Sports, didn't hold back in his assessment of United's performance. He criticized the team's tactical approach after Everton's red card, questioning the imbalance between United's defenders and the opposing players during an Everton goal-kick. "You've got five defenders at the back. Why? And they didn't even win the header. Or the second ball. Embarrassing," Neville exclaimed. He also took aim at Luke Shaw's performance, particularly his lack of urgency in getting forward. Neville described Shaw as "ambling forward" and a "waste of time," emphasizing the need for greater intensity and urgency.
Neville further reflected on his criticism on his podcast, stating that the team "smelt of complacency" and weren't "at it from the beginning". He warned that such a result could "erode trust" within the dressing room and expressed his disappointment with the overall effort. "You can lose football matches, but you can't lose them like that. That's nowhere near good enough, it's not acceptable," Neville asserted.
Adding to the disappointment, the home crowd voiced their displeasure with loud boos at the final whistle. The defeat marks Man United's fourth Premier League loss this season and their first since September 27 against Brentford.
Everton's Gueye has since apologized to his teammates for his red card incident. Meanwhile, United will need to regroup quickly as they prepare to face Crystal Palace in their upcoming Premier League match.
