Neville's Fury as United Stumble Against Ten Men
Manchester United's four-match winning streak at Old Trafford came to a crashing halt as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Everton, despite the visitors playing with ten men for the majority of the match. The loss, which leaves United languishing in 10th place, prompted a brutal live commentary from club legend Gary Neville, who singled out defender Luke Shaw for particular criticism.
'A Waste of Time': Shaw Bears the Brunt of Criticism
The pivotal moment came early when Everton's Idrissa Gueye was shown a red card for slapping his own teammate, Michael Keane, inside the first 13 minutes. Despite this numerical advantage, United struggled to break down a resolute Everton defence, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's first-half strike proving to be the match-winner.
Analysing the game for Sky Sports, Gary Neville did not hold back. He expressed mounting frustration with United's lack of urgency, focusing his ire on Luke Shaw's role in Ruben Amorim's back three. 'I'm not saying it's easy playing against ten men,' Neville stated, 'you have to play with some urgency, you have to put as many players as possible forward, into forward areas.'
He argued that Shaw failed to provide this necessary impetus. 'Shaw is starting to move forward a little bit, but he's ambling forward, let's be clear,' Neville continued. He stressed that with United desperately needing a goal, having Shaw, Leny Yoro, and Matthijs de Ligt 'largely playing behind the ball' was counter-productive. His final verdict was damning: 'It's a waste of time, I don't care. Honestly, what he's doing there, you're not conning anybody.'
Amorim's Stark Warning and Missed Opportunity
Despite dominating possession after the red card, United lacked penetration and were restricted to speculative efforts by a well-organised Everton side managed by David Moyes. The result was a significant blow, ending their positive home form and missing a crucial chance to move into the top four.
Post-match, manager Ruben Amorim delivered a striking response, insisting his players needed to show more fight, even referencing the on-pitch altercation that led to Everton's dismissal. 'Fighting is not a bad thing,' Amorim said. 'Fighting is that you lose the ball and I will fight you because you lose the ball and we will suffer a goal. I feel afraid of returning to this feeling of last season, that is my biggest concern. We are not even near at the moment where we're supposed to be in this club.' This candid admission underscores the scale of the task facing the United boss after a deeply disappointing performance.
