In a scathing assessment of Manchester United’s performance against Wolves, former player and football pundit Gary Neville expressed his frustration with Erik ten Hag’s tactics.
As the match ended in a 1 nil win during United’s opening game of the season, Neville took issue with Luke Shaw’s positioning on the field.
Neville, speaking on Sky Sports, voiced his concerns about Shaw drifting into the left side of midfield instead of providing support on the wing.“It’s driven me crazy a bit,” he admitted.
Neville highlighted that in previous seasons, Shaw had been one of United’s best attacking players, effectively combining with Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford.
At the iconic Old Trafford stadium, Neville emphasized the importance of widening the pitch to stretch opposing teams.
The former United legend strongly criticized the concept of inverted full-backs, suggesting that players comfortable with going into midfield should be selected instead.
According to Neville, Luke Shaw is an exceptional attacker and his partnership with the left-winger has been instrumental in United’s offensive prowess.
In the end, it was Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the opposite full-back to Shaw, who assisted Raphael Varane’s winning goal.
However, controversy arose in the dying minutes of the match when new goalkeeper Andre Onana fouled Sasa Kalajdzic in the penalty area. Despite the incident, VAR chose not to intervene, leaving fans and rivals stunned.
Neville’s critique serves as a reminder of the tactical discussions surrounding Manchester United’s gameplay. As the team progresses through the season, it remains to be seen how Erik ten Hag adapts his strategies to address the concerns raised by Neville and other critics.