Gary Neville: Man Utd need a cultural overhaul of ‘mediocre’ squad – but Liverpool remind me of Sir Alex Ferguson’s team | Football News

Gary Neville has called for a “cultural overhaul” at Manchester United while labeling the squad as “mediocre” following their 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim’s side failed to build on last weekend’s dramatic 2-1 win against Manchester City and will now remain bottom of the Premier League table as we approach Christmas.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are at the top of the table following an impressive 6-3 win against Tottenham Hotspur. Sky Sports pounds Jamie Carragher called ‘performance of champions’ From Arne Slot’s team.

Speaking on his latest podcast, Neville assessed the controversial situations at each club…

United’s squad is mediocre and needs to change

I think it’s a huge positive that Ruben Amorim sees what he has. There have been times in the past when you could be kidded into thinking you have a better group of players because of decent results and promotion.

But they’re a mile apart in every way.

Playing the way Amorim likes to play, 3-4-3, he has to switch it up. He tried them all, rotating the team, and I don’t think there will be many who have watched him and thought: “yes, I want you on the bus.”

They are all very mediocre, and I don’t know how it happened, they are better than they show, let’s be clear, but it is a pattern.

Well done Bournemouth, it’s been two years and Andoni Iraola is doing a fantastic job, it’s a big positive that Amorim can look at these players in the cold light of day.

He’s had a six-month beauty parade, if you like, which is more of an ugly parade. He’s seeing what Manchester United fans have watched for 10 years must be a cultural overhaul.

It’s really worrying times, not much to like about the performance levels or the way they’re playing. They’re all lads trying their best, it’s not a personal attack, but they’re not good enough to play for Manchester United because this club aims to be at the top.

The same as Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea – those clubs aim to be top, but you have to get there.

It’s quite clear to look at these players, they’re not good enough.

“Liverpool reminds me of Ferguson’s United”

Maybe there are parts of this Liverpool team that remind me of the Manchester United team I played for.

I see David Beckham here on the right, with Trent Alexander-Arnold putting in incredible crosses, I see runs in behind and lots of bodies moving forward, but mostly I see different styles of football in the game.

We’ve been conditioned for the last eight years to this ideology where you have a certain philosophy of the game, but I don’t see that with Liverpool.

I see them play three or four different styles in the same game. I see them make long passes to the attackers, sometimes on the counter-attack, sometimes deep and compact, they start with high pressing and then change.

Whatever the game calls for and demands, they have the ability to do it.

If the team is pushed back, they can pull in, go deep together, be compact and defend as a unit. If the game can go, they will overshoot and push the high line, but they don’t play one style consistently throughout the game.

There are times when you see Ryan Gravenburch and Alexis McAllister in midfield controlling the game, slowing it down, keeping the ball.

We’ve been conditioned to think that a team has to play one way, and you can’t adapt to being a team that plays different ways in different matches.

I thought an element of it was gone, where the players became a bit robotic; “I’ll do what my coach tells me.”

This Liverpool team has an independent mindset to know what the game needs. That’s what reminds me of us and Liverpool are a lot better than I ever thought they would be this season.