
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has labelled Manchester United as a ‘yo-yo team’ after their latest 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag’s men failed to build on their previous success against Aston Villa as they were completely outplayed by a relegation-battling Forest side.
Marcus Rashford restored parity for the visitors after Nicolas Dominguez broke the deadlock after 64 minutes at the City Ground.
But Morgan Gibbs-White scored the winner with eight minutes remaining, handing the Tricky Trees their first victory over United since 1994.
The result leaves the Red Devils nine points behind fourth-placed Arsenal before the Gunners’ game against Fulham on Sunday.
Gary Neville was unimpressed with his former club’s display and delivered a scathing review of their defeat.
“They’re a weird team this Man Utd one,” Neville told Sky Sports. “It’s almost as if at 0-0, they think they can play at a snail’s pace and then when they concede a goal – ‘oh we better get going here, let get’s a move on’. They don’t anticipate danger at all.
“At half-time, the lads were talking about the belief. Nottingham Forest can half work out how bad this Manchester United team are. It’s so poor from United, especially considering how good they were at Villa, it was exhilarating. They’re a yo-yo team.
“They weren’t keen on talking about it as a turning point because they don’t trust themselves.
“All the talk the other night was how much these players are playing for Erik ten Hag. What does this prove after we’ve seen so far in 50 minutes? That they’re not playing for him?
“This almost has nothing to do with Erik ten Hag. From 45 minutes to 45 minutes, they’ve gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. And now it’s the ridiculous.”
The clock is ticking for Ten Hag
Erik ten Hag’s first season at United was a success as he led them to a Champions League finish and victory in the League Cup.
However, the Red Devils have been awful this season despite making several high-profile signings in the summer.
The Dutch manager has had to deal with numerous injury issues this season, with some of his key players remaining out for long spells due to fitness problems.
But with Sir Jim Ratcliffe on the verge of completing his 25% stake buyout of United, Ten Hag may have limited time to make a turnaround.
The 53-year-old must improve his team’s performances over the coming weeks or he will be sacked.
United will play Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup next month before welcoming Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford in the Premier League.
