Gary Neville calls out Man Utd effort after poor running stats
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville criticizes the team for lacking effort and walking too much, as dismal running stats rank them near the bottom.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Gary Neville criticizes Manchester United players for a lack of effort and walking too much.
- The Red Devils rank 16th for distance covered and 17th for total sprints this Premier League season.
- Running stats were similarly low under Carrick last season despite much better results.
- Neville expands his media empire through The Overlap and acquiring Mark Goldbridge's channels.
Following Manchester United's joint-worst start to a Premier League season with four points from five games, former right-back Gary Neville launched a sharp critique against his former club. Having played 602 matches over a 19-year career, Neville's comments carried significant weight as he addressed the team's performances.
Neville directly questioned the players' lack of effort, referring to them as "mannequins" and pointing out that both United and Fulham were walking too much during matches. These remarks aligned directly with the team's official running statistics in the English top flight.
Data shows that only four teams in the league have covered less distance than United, while just three clubs have produced fewer sprints. However, looking back at the end of last season under Michael Carrick, United's running stats were virtually identical, yet they claimed 39 points from 17 games at 2.29 points per game compared to just 0.8 this term.
"15 minutes of shame"
Daily Star
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
This suggests the issue may be tactical rather than simply failing to run enough, especially given that league leaders Manchester City have covered less distance than United while registering the division's lowest number of sprints. Meanwhile, high-flying Brighton sit just one place above United for sprints.
Neville's growing media footprint highlights a massive shift in sports broadcasting, moving from traditional punditry on Sky Sports to building multi-format networks like The Overlap. His recent acquisition of channels belonging to United influencer Mark Goldbridge, who boasts around four million subscribers, underscores the profound influence Neville now wields across the modern football media landscape.
Source: BBC Sport
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