Gary Neville: Brighton Defeat Puts ‘Awful Lot of Pressure’ on Manchester United Boss Erik ten Hag
Manchester United’s stunning late collapse at Brighton has heaped pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, according to Gary Neville. The Red Devils’ 2-1 defeat at the Amex Stadium has left Ten Hag facing intense scrutiny, with Neville claiming the Dutchman is now under the microscope.
Manchester United recovered from a goal down to level the scores in the second half, but a last-gasp winner from Joao Pedro sealed the win for Brighton.
Neville described the defeat as “a really depressing end to the game”. He believes the pressure is now on Ten Hag to deliver a result against Liverpool next weekend.
“I thought a draw would have been half-acceptable, but to lose the game puts an awful lot of pressure on Erik ten Hag and on towards the game next week against Liverpool,” Neville said.
Pressure is building on Man United boss Erik ten Hag after Brighton loss, claims Gary Neville
Brighton have proven to be a bogey team for Manchester United in recent years, and Neville believes the Red Devils’ struggles in the first half were predictable.
“I think the first half of the game I don’t think anyone was surprised,” Neville added. “It’s very difficult to play football without a centre forward. You need a focal point up front, and he corrected that at half-time by bringing [Joshua] Zirkzee on, but you’ve already wasted 45 minutes in the match, and that’s a problem.”
United thought they had taken the lead through Alejandro Garnacho, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR check. Brighton rallied from there, and a calamitous piece of defending from United in the final stages cost Ten Hag’s side dearly.
The former Manchester United defender described events as a ‘depressing end to the game’
Neville singled out Casemiro for criticism, claiming the Brazilian midfielder’s positioning was at fault for the winning goal.
“In the second half, and the first goal was poor defensively, but that last goal I’ve just watched it, when you clear from a corner you’ve got to still defend as you would the second phase of a corner,” Neville said.
“In particular, if you watch Casemiro, it looks to me like he leaves his position at the back post and goes back into central midfield, but it then leaves acres of space in the back zone.
“A lack of concentration, a lack of focus, and it does put some pressure on them.”
Ten Hag and his players now need to pick themselves up to face Liverpool next weekend
Manchester United now face a daunting task against Liverpool at Old Trafford, and Neville believes Ten Hag needs to get his team’s focus back on track quickly.