Gary Neville Says Carrick Has a Problem If Man Utd Stay 13th

• Gary Neville says Michael Carrick has a problem if Manchester United are still 13th in the Premier League in January.
• Neville wants fifth place as the minimum target, calling fourth “a birdie”, fifth “par” and sixth “a bogey”.
• The Sky Sports pundit also called Carlos Baleba staying fit “absolutely critical” to United’s midfield.

Neville Calls Fifth Place a Must for Carrick

Gary Neville has set a clear line for Michael Carrick at Manchester United. “If they’re 13th in January, he’s got a problem,” the Sky Sports pundit said, after United’s winless run reached six games with a 1-1 draw at Leeds.

Bryan Mbeumo gave United the lead at Elland Road and Dominic Calvert-Lewin levelled from a corner in the second half. The point leaves Carrick’s side 13th with seven points from seven league matches. They have won once, their fewest victories at this stage of a top-flight season for 40 years, and they sit five points behind fifth place, which was enough for Champions League football last season.

A Stepping Stone, Not a Fix

Speaking on his podcast, Neville agreed with Carrick that the display at Leeds was a step in the right direction. Tactical tweaks made United more compact and solid. Neville described “a depressed standard and a low expectation right now”, but said the draw would feel like “a stepping stone” and “the first step on the ladder in the Premier League” for the United head coach.

He also sees a possible template in it. “Maybe we have to bring Matheus Cunha, Marcus Rashford and others off the bench, and we might just have to have a go at being more solid,” Neville said.

Birdie, Par and Bogey

Neville then laid out what he expects from the season. “I would say fourth would be a birdie, fifth would be par, and sixth would be a bogey,” he said. The reason is money and recruitment. A finish outside the top five means no Champions League, and Neville said that makes it harder to sign players who want European football, costs the club £60m to £70m and leaves it in the Europa League on Thursday nights.

“Fifth is a must for Michael Carrick to continue to grow and Manchester United continue to grow with investment,” Neville said. “You know that anything less than fifth is going to be a disappointment and a dropping standard from the start of the season where everybody expected them to finish.”

He does not think the alarm needs to ring yet. Seven games is early, in his view, and the same record after 15 games would be a different matter. But he wants change soon. “It has to change in the next few weeks: Bournemouth is really important and Chelsea away. And how he manages the games in between that,” Neville said. He pointed to Brighton, Liverpool and Aston Villa as sides who “look like they’re picking up a little bit”.

Baleba Is the Name to Watch

Neville likes what he has seen from Carlos Baleba. The 21-year-old joined from Brighton for £70m at the end of the summer window and arrived with an ankle injury. He made his United debut off the bench in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with 10-man Tottenham, then started at Atletico Madrid and at Leeds.

“I know he had a difficult season last year at Brighton, but you watch him in his first couple of games or so for United, and he’s got something,” Neville said. “He’s got a bit of strength about him, he’s got a presence.” Baleba and fellow summer signing Andrey Santos gave United added steel in midfield.

Neville understands why Carrick took Baleba off with 20 minutes left at Leeds, after nearly three games in a week. “Him staying fit is gonna be absolutely critical,” he said. He suggested Baleba might sit out Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Como, and wondered whether the Santos and Baleba pairing will stay in place for a while, with the attacking players floating in front.

What Comes Next for United

The schedule gives Carrick little room. United visit Como on Wednesday, host Bournemouth on Sunday 25 October, then travel to Chelsea on 31 October. Roma come to Old Trafford in the Champions League on 3 November, Aston Villa visit on 8 November and a trip to Liverpool follows on 22 November.

Neville wants more control from that run. “I’m sick of Manchester United’s team being easy to play against, and Michael Carrick will be sick of it,” he said.