Gary Neville has said he does not expect Manchester United to be drawn into a relegation battle, despite the club's recent run of poor results. The former United defender was speaking after the team lost 2-0 away to Chelsea in the Premier League over the weekend.
The defeat leaves United in 17th place, outside the bottom three only on goal difference. They are level on points with 18th-placed Crystal Palace and two points ahead of Sunderland, who sit bottom of the table.
Neville on United's winless run
United have not won in the Premier League since August, and the result has increased speculation about the future of manager Michael Carrick. Neville told Sky Sports that the club is "stuck in a rut" and highlighted the difficulty of ending the winless streak.
"It's very difficult. It feels like the club is stuck in a rut," Neville said. "It's stuck in a rut in terms of results, it's now nine without a win, which is obviously a really horrible run to be in at any point."
Discipline and difficult fixtures ahead
Neville said there were positives in the first half against Chelsea, but stressed the need for discipline when opponents are playing well. "As soon as they go a goal down they fall to pieces," he added.
He does not believe United will end up in a relegation battle, calling the situation "a worry" and "a real depression of results, a depression of performances." He pointed to difficult upcoming fixtures, including Roma on Tuesday, Aston Villa next weekend, and a trip to Anfield afterwards.
"There are a lot of big games in front for Manchester United in these next few weeks, but it's really worrying," Neville said.
