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Gary Neville has delivered a scathing assessment of Manchester United's players following their chaotic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday. The club legend was left unimpressed by the squad's decision to perform a lap of appreciation at Old Trafford after failing to secure a victory yet again.
Chaotic eight-goal thriller
Michael Carrick’s men produced a spirited double comeback to rescue a point in a frantic Premier League clash. The hosts found themselves trailing by two goals within just four minutes, as Senne Lammens' errors allowed Alysson and Nicolas Jackson to score.
Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty and Youri Tielemans struck to level the tie, but defensive fragility immediately resurfaced. John McGinn converted a penalty following Diogo Dalot’s foul, and Leon Goretzka capitalised on a Leny Yoro mistake to restore Villa's two-goal cushion. However, injury-time strikes from substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu snatched a dramatic draw.
'Causing themselves emotional damage'
Speaking on NBC Sports, former Red Devils captain Neville did not hold back when reacting to the current squad applauding supporters at full-time. "You got to admire their persistence, they kept going," Neville said. "The defensive errors were shocking and we'll discuss that shortly. But this lap around the pitch..."
The pundit expressed disbelief at the recurring post-match routine during such a dismal run of form. Neville added: "I played for Manchester United 602 times and I always appreciated the fans at the end of the game, but this pattern of them walking around the pitch after defeats by Bournemouth and a 4-4 at home against Aston Villa, it's almost painful to watch. They're almost causing themselves emotional damage."
A sorry situation at Old Trafford
Neville concluded his rant by highlighting the stark contrast between the team's struggles and the unconditional support from the stands. "This just can't go on, can it? It's absolutely desperate," he continued. "Michael will be proud of them and the fans are singing his name because they love him but this is a really sorry situation."
Carrick, meanwhile, defended the post-match scenes and praised the unwavering backing from the Old Trafford faithful. Speaking to Sky Sports, the manager stated: "The fans are right behind the players. You’ve seen that, it’s pretty obvious, they’re right behind the players.
"They are desperate to get behind us and for us to give them something to go on and shout about. There’s frustration and disappointment at times, we all feel that. But they are right behind the boys and were at the final whistle as well."
Mounting pressure on Carrick
Despite the late fightback showing character, United's situation remains dire. They are currently languishing in 18th place in the Premier League standings and have now gone eight matches without tasting victory.
Carrick desperately needs to fix a leaky defence that has repeatedly proven costly. Earning three points in their upcoming fixtures will be absolutely vital to easing the pressure and steering the club out of the relegation zone.