Nev shocked by how brave Reds were to see off City at the Etihad
GARY Neville admits he was ‘shocked’ at how brave United were during their 2-0 victory over City, with particular praise for their high defensive line.
While a goal inside the first two minutes helped put the Reds on their way, Dean Henderson remained relatively untroubled throughout the 90 minutes.
Neville was particularly impressed at how high Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof held their defensive line, allowing United’s midfield to press with more intensity to win the ball from City, with a shorter distance to cover.
“I’m shocked,” he said. “It wasn’t that United couldn’t win. They could and they’ve got a good record at the Etihad over the last 12-18 months. But it was the way they won, the way they went about the game.
“They looked so drained in the last couple of weeks and you just think, ‘where have they got the energy to play the way they did?’
“Yeah, they might sit back, they might ride their luck and get a goal on the counterattack... but they pushed up the pitch. Maybe the goal helped them in the first minute.
“If you look at the build-up to the first goal, all the Man United players are compact, they’re tight together, the defence is up the pitch and they’re all around the play, picking up loose balls.
“And that was the same for the first 20 minutes of the game. United really good, the back four really brave.
“I’ve said Man United will not win this league unless the back four push up the pitch and feel a little uncomfortable with the space that’s left behind them. I think they’re starting to do it a little bit.
“There are signs in games where they were brave. Not just brave out of possession in pushing up but I thought they got on the ball as well, popping it into midfield. “