Gary Neville Drops Bombshell: 5 Man United Stars ‘Not Good Enough’

Gary Neville’s Brutal Assessment: Man United Need Major Surgery

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has delivered a scathing verdict on his former club’s current squad, claiming at least five players are simply ‘not good enough’ for new manager Ruben Amorim’s vision.

Following Sunday’s lackluster 0-0 draw with Manchester City at Old Trafford—where United managed just two shots on target—Neville didn’t hold back in his assessment of what’s holding the Red Devils back from playing the high-pressing, attacking football Amorim desires.

Five Players on the Chopping Block

“They need five new players straight away before you even think about the rest of it,” Neville declared on Sky Sports with characteristic bluntness. “The three up front are not good enough and the two wing-backs, they’re not good enough. They need five players.”

While not naming names directly, Neville’s comments appear targeted at forwards Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho, and Joshua Zirkzee, along with wing-backs Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu—with the latter only arriving at Old Trafford in the recent transfer window.

The criticism is particularly eyebrow-raising considering Dalot was voted Players’ Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season, while Dorgu has barely had time to settle into his new surroundings.

Amorim Claps Back at ‘Critical’ Neville

Neville’s post-match rant labeled United’s performance as ‘robotic’—a criticism that didn’t sit well with new boss Amorim, who fired back saying the pundit is “critical of everything.”

The verbal sparring highlights the growing tension around Old Trafford as Amorim attempts to implement his trademark 3-4-3 system with players he has largely inherited rather than selected.

“From a United perspective, I get why he’s gone back into a low block. But that’s what we’ve seen from Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag,” Neville explained. “They’ve all come in with the intention of playing high-press, high-energy football, but all end up going back to a low block in big games.”

The Attacking Crisis: Numbers Tell a Damning Story

The statistics painfully support Neville’s assessment of United’s forward line. Across a combined 85 Premier League appearances this season, Hojlund, Garnacho, and Zirkzee have mustered just 10 goals between them—a return that falls dramatically short of what a club of United’s stature demands.

Earlier this season, Danish striker Hojlund went through a barren spell lasting an astonishing 22 hours and 19 minutes of playing time without finding the net—highlighting the attacking impotence that has plagued United’s campaign.

Neville did, however, single out one player for praise. “Bruno Fernandes is only United’s real player of absolute quality,” the former England defender noted, exempting the Portuguese midfielder from his criticism.

Amorim’s Vision and the Painful Transition

Despite the growing pains, there have been some positive signs under Amorim. The Red Devils have lost just two of their last nine games in all competitions, though they’ve only managed to win three—suggesting stability rather than substantial progress.

The Portuguese manager himself acknowledged the difficulties of the transition period, stating after the derby: “In the moment it’s still really hard every day, but of course you can imagine that the next season is going to be so much different.”

“That’s why I’m always saying that I’m in a rush because we are suffering a lot. Everybody here is suffering a lot with all these changes, and we have to show something in the next year,” Amorim added with notable candor.

Summer Transfer Window Looms Large

With Neville’s damning assessment now public, all eyes will turn to the summer transfer window and whether United’s ownership will back Amorim with the significant investment clearly needed to overhaul the squad.

The manager himself highlighted multiple areas for improvement: “We have so many aspects to improve: build-up, transition, decisions in the final third. Every player can improve. They have the quality but we are still a team that plays on transition and we need to spend more time in final third to have more opportunities.”

For Manchester United fans, Neville’s brutal honesty may sting, but it also offers a glimpse of hope—that the club’s leadership will finally address the fundamental issues that have held back one of football’s most storied institutions for far too long.