Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has spotlighted two key talking points around Michael Carrick after Manchester United’s performance against Manchester City on Sunday.
Michael Carrick was left deeply frustrated in the Old Trafford dugout after the Red Devils failed to capitalise on their numbers advantage over Manchester City.
Man City played most of the Premier League match with 10 men after Phil Foden was sent off for his incident involving Bruno Fernandes on Sunday evening.
However, Enzo Maresca’s men stunned Carrick’s side in the second half after striker Erling Haaland sealed all three Premier League points in the Manchester derby.
READ MORE: Benjamin Sesko vs Man City has left Man Utd fans to send same demand to Michael Carrick over his ‘logic’
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford on May 03, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Gary Neville on Michael Carrick’s frustrations and Man Utd boss’ Benjamin Sesko decision for Man City defeat
Manchester United were unable to climb back into the Premier League contest and the Red Devils eventually fell to their second loss in the campaign so far.
Gary Neville has now admitted that Erling Haaland’s winner for Man City against Man Utd is not where Michael Carrick should place his anger after the Red Devils’ display.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Gary Neville Podcast, he said: “Yeah. Michael Carrick can be angry about the goal, but he should also be angry about the performance. He really should.”
Carrick turned to his bench in the second half and brought striker Benjamin Sesko on after the Red Devils were left chasing the 1-0 scoreline at Old Trafford.
United legend Neville admitted that Carrick should have subbed Benjamin Sesko on at half-time instead of the 67-minute mark after he took off Youri Tielemans.
“I did think that Sesko should have come on at half-time,” he said.
“I think it became quite obvious [that] the pattern of the game after Phil Foden was sent off before, you know, in the first 45 minutes wasn’t going as well as it should have been for United.”
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Why Gary Neville thinks that Benjamin Sesko was important to come on for Man Utd at half-time instead of when he did
United manager Carrick opted to start Matheus Cunha for the Manchester derby instead of Benjamin Sesko for the Red Devils’ encounter with Man City.
Neville argued that the 23-year-old Slovenian striker would have provided United with a more serious aerial threat and the ability to be direct if he had come on earlier.
“So, I think they needed to be a little bit more direct, I think they needed to get more sort of aerial presence in the box and just go down a different route,” he added.
“I think it was 65 minutes before Sesko came on. I think he should have been on after 45 minutes. I think that was quite clear.”
Sesko has netted twice in five matches across all competitions for Man Utd this season and the Slovenia international made his first start against Sabah.