Sponsored by. GARY NEVILLE had some less-than-kind words for Manchester United's first-half performance against Tottenham. The injury-ravaged Red Devils still managed to field a starting XI worth £448million, but were still second-best in North London. James Maddison's goal was the difference maker as he reacted first to Lucas Bergvall's rebounded shot after Andre Onana could not push it far enough away.
![[Gary Neville holding a Sky Sports microphone.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/sky-sports-pundit-gary-neville-972553378.jpg?strip=all&w=640)
Spurs had five shots to United's eight, though the home side had three on target compared to the visitors two. But Neville was particularly critical of the way Ruben Amorim had set up his midfield pair of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro. Speaking on co-commentary for Sky Sports, he blasted the midfield plan as "embarrassing". He explained: "The distance between the two central midfield players, see where Casemiro is and where Bruno Fernandes is, that cannot be right.
![[Casemiro of Manchester United reacting during a Premier League match.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-casemiro-manchester-united-reacts-972588252.jpg?strip=all&w=686)
"It breaks all rules in football. Absolute madness.". The former defender added: "United may win today and may score goals but I have to say that the structure of the team is awful. "The gaps in that midfield between Fernandes and Casemiro. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. "That’s a tactic, they’ve been asked to do that, Bruno’s been asked to come out to this side and it isn’t right. "Bruno Fernandes is playin right wing, the two of them in midfield are split, it’s embarrassing.
![[Ruben Amorim, Manchester United manager, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/tottenham-hotspur-stadium-manchester-united-972589034.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
"You wouldn’t see this in Under-9s or Under-10s football.". Despite the criticism, the Red Devils arguably should have gone in at the break level. Alejandro Garnacho had been played into the penalty area on his favoured right foot with only the goalkeeper to beat just 11 yards out from goal. However, the Argentine, who has not scored in the league under Amorim skied his shot miles over the bar. It compounds a worrying stat for the 20-year-old that he has the worst big chance conversion rate of any player in the Premier League to have had at least 10 of them, with only two of his 14 scored - a rate of just 14 per cent.
