Gary Neville and Jamie Redknapp both criticised Manchester United's midfield pairing of Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans after the team drew 1-1 with 10-man Tottenham at Old Trafford. The Sky Sports pundits agreed the duo lacks enough mobility in the middle of the park, with United extending their winless Premier League run to four matches.
United were outplayed for much of the match, with the visitors failing to take their chances until Dominic Solanke scored a 92nd-minute equaliser. That cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo's opener, which came five minutes before Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off for Spurs for a headbutt. Despite having an extra player and being 1-0 up, United failed to take all three points. They have won only two of their eight games across all competitions this term.
Neville: 'Get a grip'
Neville fears Mainoo and Tielemans will never be a suitable partnership due to their lack of running power. But the former right-back also told the entire United squad to 'get a grip', and quickly, with a daunting run of fixtures coming up.
Speaking on his self-titled podcast, Neville said: "Tielemans and Mainoo, I'm not calling time on it, that's probably too drastic, but I've seen enough of it to think that's not a midfield that's dynamic enough to play at this football club in the Premier League.
"I think they're both good players individually, by the way. But sometimes you have players that don't quite knit together and don't suit each other. When [Carlos] Baleba came on with Mainoo, that certainly looked like there was a lot more energy. There has to be something done in there.
"The rest of them are going to have to get a grip. Honestly, they're going to Atletico Madrid, a Diego Simeone Atletico Madrid, and Elland Road. If you're not quite right there from a mental perspective or a physical perspective, you're going to get found out.
"They've got a couple days to recover and pick themselves up from this and get going. If they're not going to get going, it's going to be a worrying few weeks."
Redknapp: 'Not strong enough or good enough'
Similarly, former Spurs midfielder Redknapp said: "I didn't see enough connections in that midfield in the first hour. Baleba came on and did OK and showed a bit more.
"They look devoid of any confidence, any idea, any patterns of play, playing out from the back. Tottenham were much better than them in every single department.
"That's been a theme this season. Their energy levels aren't good enough, even going forward they look loose and open and there's no real structure.
"I look at that squad and find it hard to pick a team that is really going to compete week-in, week-out. They're not strong enough or good enough.
"There is a pattern that I don't really like when I watch teams and that's when every time the stats don't lie and the other team runs more than you.
"I feel in Premier League football right now there are a couple of non-negotiables and one is you have to run more than the other team if you want to win or at least get close enough. Tonight Spurs ran 5km more than Manchester United.
"There is an argument to say they had 10 men, but that is pretty much every game. You should think if you outrun the players you're playing against, you will win matches.
"In terms of how they played today, I think they have an issue with Tielemans and Mainoo in midfield. I don't see enough energy in there. Baleba will add a lot and will give them a tremendous amount of energy but right now, when things aren't going well... and Tottenham knew it!
"Every time United played the ball out from the back they pounced. They pressed them because they knew United don't have the pace and speed in midfield to get away.
"In isolation, one of them is absolutely fine, the two of them together doesn't work for me. They haven't got the pace or the energy to get around the pitch for 90 minutes."
United's trio of upcoming away games sees them face Atletico in the Champions League next Tuesday before facing arch rivals Leeds United next Sunday. They then face another tricky trip to Italy to face Como in Europe the following Wednesday (October 21).
