Manchester United stopped the rot with a late win over Brentford on Saturday, but Neville has not been impressed with what he's seen this term
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Gary Neville believes Manchester United are "way off" finishing in the top five of the Premier League this season, never mind the top four.
Manchester United mounted a dramatic stoppage-time comeback to beat Brentford 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday, but the result ultimately did little to paper over the multitude of cracks in Erik ten Hag's team.
And Neville foresees a tough campaign for his former club, having tipped them for big things only a couple of months back.
Scott McTominay's last-gasp brace snatched three points for Man United against Brentford (Image credit: Getty Images)
Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast, Neville highlighted the struggles of number one Andre Onana as a key issue for the Red Devils. He said: "I don’t think Manchester United will finish in the top five this season. I think they are way off it.
“And I’m surprised because seven or eight weeks ago, I had them third, But honestly, from what I see at the moment, I don’t think the goalkeeper is settled in; I think he should have saved the [goal on Saturday], so that is a problem.
“If your goalkeeper is not settled in and there is a bit of instability around that, it does create a big problem. I’ve had that at United. So United, not for me [to finish in the top five]."
Why Man United's problems are EVEN WORSE than you think
As the Premier League pauses for the latest international break, United find themselves 10th after eight games – having won four and lost four in a thoroughly up-and-down start to the campaign.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Ten Hag's side have also lost their opening two Champions League matches, leaving them already facing an uphill task to make it out of the group.
They return to action with a league trip to Sheffield United on 21 October, before chasing their first European victory at home to Copenhagen three days later.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
