Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been warned after hitting back at Jamie Carragher's analysis of his team's tactics
Erik ten Hag applauds the fans after Manchester United's loss to Fulham in February 2024.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has admitted his "heart sank a little" when he saw Erik ten Hag respond to Jamie Carragher's criticism of his team.
Sky Sports pundit Carragher analysed United's shortcomings in their 2-1 defeat by Fulham last weekend.
Carragher criticised United's defending and the space they allowed their opponents in the middle of the park.
Ten Hag then hit back, suggesting the former Liverpool centre-back's comments were "subjective".
And Neville has suggested that Ten Hag made a mistake in responding to Carragher's remarks.
“I must admit that when I saw it appear yesterday [Ten Hag’s criticism of Carragher], my heart sank a little, from a Manchester United perspective, that he was getting involved in that," he said on Stick to Football.
Gary Neville is interviewed during his job as a football pundit for Sky Sports (Image credit: Getty Images)
"The reality is that he might be secretly or privately annoyed and think there are some points you [Carragher] made that are wrong, but [he has to think].
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“We have conceded a lot of chances, I’m not going to win this one, we’ve just lost a game, got a big game against Nottingham Forest, let’s not look like I’m even interested in that. That was my thinking.”
Ten Hag oversaw a 1-0 victory over Forest in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday.
He is now preparing his side to take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.
Gary Neville was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
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Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).
