Neville names two Ten Hag changes to make Man Utd a ‘proper team’, as Carragher reveals big concern

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have analysed Manchester United as Erik ten Hag looks to make big progress with the Red Devils this season.

Man Utd ended the 2023-24 campaign on a high as they beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup for the first time since 2016. That triumph at Wembley will have undoubtedly played a big role in convincing Sir Jim Ratcliffe to stick with the Dutchman, even if INEOS did evaluate the whole of the manager’s two-year spell in charge.

But Man Utd struggled in the Premier League as they fell from third the previous season to just eighth place, behind the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

Man Utd only managed to qualify for this season’s Europa League after winning the FA Cup against their local rivals.

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The Red Devils got their new Premier League campaign off to a winning start on Friday night, beating Fulham 1-0 at home thanks to a late winner from summer arrival Joshua Zirkzee.

Following the victory, former defenders Neville and Carragher explained what Man Utd must do differently to catch the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Neville thinks Ten Hag’s side will only become a ‘proper Man Utd team’ when they demonstrate consistency and the same shape on a weekly basis.

Carragher, meanwhile, is worried about the time it is taking the Dutchman to truly show his influence on the Man Utd players.

Man Utd latest: Ten Hag must initiate ‘consistency’ and ‘shape’

“What we were crying out for all of last season was a pattern and a style of play to develop, where you knew there was consistency,” Neville said.

“I don’t think we’re ever going to see a proper Man Utd team until we see some level of consistency, shape, that repeats itself week on week.

“You knew a Jurgen Klopp team, you know now an Arteta team, you know a Pep Guardiola team, you know an Ange Postecoglou team even though he’s only been there a season.”

Carragher interjected: “Do you think we’ll ever know an Erik ten Hag team? I think if you’re at a club – we’re coming into his third season now – that can’t be a question.

“Are we saying he’s a type of manager who doesn’t have a certain style, he just plays what’s on?”

Neville replied: “There is an element of that. I don’t have a problem with it because at United when we played we wouldn’t necessarily play the same way each week.

“But what I would say is there has to be some consistency of what they’re doing. So the same back four, some principles of play so you think, ‘ok, this is how they do play’.

“They can’t just keep changing the back four all the time, changing the midfield, changing the shape, injuries. All these things that repeated last season and unsettled everybody.

“There’s got to be something that they can say, ‘this is what we do’. Even if it is a little bit ugly.”

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