LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) Gary Neville’s bold prediction of Manchester United finishing outside the Premier League’s top five has raised concerns within the club and intensified the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.
Despite securing a top-four finish and ending a six-year trophy drought with a Carabao Cup victory in the previous season, Manchester United’s performance in the current campaign has been underwhelming.
They currently sit in 10th place, having collected only 12 points from eight games.
This underperformance has left Neville surprised, as he had previously rated them as third contenders just a few weeks ago.
One of the key issues Neville highlighted is the unsettled nature of the goalkeeper position. He expressed concern about the goalkeeper’s performance, particularly in conceding goals, which he believes is creating instability within the team.
Neville drew from his own experiences at United to emphasize the significance of goalkeeper stability.
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In contrast to Manchester United’s struggles, Chelsea, another prominent club that has faced consistency issues despite significant investments in the transfer market, seems to have a brighter future in Neville’s eyes.
He cited Chelsea’s young and talented squad as a potential advantage, suggesting that their squad’s age profile is more favorable than that of Manchester United.
While Manchester United did secure a win in their most recent Premier League fixture against Brentford, they required a stoppage-time double from Scott McTominay to secure the victory.
This victory has not alleviated the growing pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, who is in his second season at the helm.
Failure to secure a spot in the Champions League could lead to further managerial changes at the club.
As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on Manchester United to see if they can defy Neville’s prediction and claw their way back into the top five, or if his bold statement will have a significant impact on the club’s future decisions.