Gary Neville names two areas United need to strengthen to become PL winners | OneFootball

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·18 January 2021

Gary Neville names two areas United need to strengthen to become PL winners

Article image:Gary Neville names two areas United need to strengthen to become PL winners

Gary Neville thinks Manchester United are only two signings away from winning the Premier League title after the Red Devils were held to a 0-0 draw by Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

There was a belief from many United fans after the match and we could’ve got at Liverpool more. Especially in the second-half as we started to control the game better.

Liverpool had no fit centre-backs and Jurgen Klopp opted to play Fabinho and Jordan Henderson as his defensive duo in a back-four. With that in mind, to think we only created two real chances — through Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, both saved by Allison — is underwhelming but we’ll take the point regardless.


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The point at Anfield becomes a good one so long as we beat Fulham and Sheffield United next in the league. It’s still a massive step forwards to where we were two years ago, or even last season with as many games played.

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast with Martin Tyler, the former Manchester United defender said: “I look at this game and think where can you go from being [challengers] to being title winners. One thing would be Manchester United need to push up the pitch a bit more, to be up in the game a little bit more.

“If you look at Liverpool, even with Fabinho and [Jordan] Henderson, they’re well up the pitch, they’re playing on the halfway line. You look at Manchester United, they’re just playing a little bit deeper.

“And I think when they come here and play 10 yards further up the pitch — maybe in a couple of seasons or next season when maybe they’ve got another centre-half in the club who can give them that confidence to do so — at that point that’s when you’ll start too see them doing it.

“The other bit is that right-hand side is emerging… well, not emerging, it is a problem. There’s no doubt. Juan Mata has played there, [Daniel] James has played there, [Paul] Pogba has played there, [Marcus] Rashford’s played there, [Donny] Van de Beek’s played there, [Mason] Greenwood’s played there.

“That’s six players that I can think of and I’ve probably missed out some that have played in that position and no-one’s cemented it. And we know that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted that right-wing position filled in the summer, he didn’t get it, and it’s just posing a little bit of a problem. “Because I think if there was a goalscoring right winger in that squad today, with Rashford and Martial – and maybe Greenwood could have been the person but he’s just not quite there yet – that I think would potentially be a difference.

“So a centre-back that gets them up the pitch that extra 10 yards and maybe that right winger. There’s still a question mark over whether the centre-forwards are good enough, but at the moment those are the two positions I would focus most on.

“And we know that Liverpool’s problems were a goalkeeper and a centre-back and they got Alisson and they got Van Dijk. Manchester United just need that little bit of belief, couple of extra players, they’re not as far away as it looks if Liverpool and Manchester City stay at this standard and don’t jump back up to that 100-points-a-season standard which is incredible.”

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