After Wayne Rooney’s damning comments about Ruben Amorim this week, Gary Neville is the latest former Manchester United player to ramp up his criticism of the under-fire manager.
United lost at Brentford on Saturday in a dismal display to ensure Amorim must wait to record back-to-back wins for the first time since being appointed at Old Trafford 11 months ago.
Rooney argued that the ‘soul has gone’ from United in his BBC Sport podcast this week, and says he expects them to lose under Amorim. Rooney added he has no faith in the manager and called on the owners to send a ‘clear message’ to address the deep-rooted issues.
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Manchester United head coach / manager Ruben Amorim reacts during the Premier League match between Brentford and Manchester United
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Now, Neville has joined the criticism of Amorim after largely arguing that other issues at the club were more to blame for United’s steady decline.
Gary Neville believes Manchester United players doubt Ruben Amorim’s system after Brentford defeat
Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast, Neville said: “I felt yesterday for the first time, just through instinct, watching it on the television, seeing players’ faces, seeing players’ body language, that there might be an element of players really doubting the system and what’s going on.
“Because there was something that happened in that game yesterday that I mentioned on my podcast two or three weeks ago that I said we couldn’t see it again.
“Remember after the Grimsby game in midweek, and I can’t remember what game United played at the weekend after it, but we did the podcast on here. And I said that Mason Mount ended up at left wing back.
“There’s sticking to your plan and there’s your coach that’s got an idea and making sure that he delivers that idea and not flip flopping with his idea with players, which can sometimes undermine what you’re trying to achieve.”
Gary Neville says Ruben Amorim substitution looked ‘awful’, agrees with Micah Richards criticism
On Match of the Day, Micah Richards had slammed Amorim’s in-game substitutions at Brentford which moved multiple players out of position to fit his rigid 3-5-2 system, rather than adjust the system to get a win.
🗣 "How are you supposed to adapt to a situation when you're changing it constantly?!" 🤷♂️
Micah Richards analyses how Ruben Amorim's tactics evolved during Man Utd's defeat to Brentford.#MOTD pic.twitter.com/Mxf1gne3uP
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) September 27, 2025
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Neville addressed the same substitutions in his podcast, pointing to Mount’s position as a left wing-back at Brentford towards the end, rather than switching to a back four and adding another player in attack.
Neville said: “When you’re putting Mason Mount at left wing back and he’s ended up at left wing back again yesterday in the last five minutes of the game, it starts to look awful. Let’s be really clear.”
Amorim has insisted he will never change his system, but has only won seven points so far this season in the Premier League, with United’s only wins coming against Burnley in the last minute and against a Chelsea side who were reduced to ten men after five minutes.