Neville brands Man Utd 'pathetic' after 1-1 draw at Fulham; Carrick defends his players

On 20 September 2026, following Manchester United's 1-1 Premier League draw at Fulham, former United captain Gary Neville described the team's performance as "pathetic" while Michael Carrick said he still believed in his squad's fitness and mentality.

United fell behind to an own goal from Lisandro Martinez just after the hour mark before Matheus Cunha's deflected strike in the 89th minute rescued a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage; the match featured a notably poor 15-minute spell at the start of the second half for United.

Neville, reflecting on what he called the worst quarter-hour he had seen from United, said: "I've watched Manchester United since the age of five and that's the worst 15 minutes I've ever seen," and added, "Absolutely pathetic." He also said: "I've never seen such a lack of effort. What must [Michael] Carrick be thinking?" Neville recalled being part of the United side beaten 3-1 by Fulham at Old Trafford in October 2003 and referenced heavy recent defeats, including losing 7-0 at Liverpool and 6-1 at home twice to Tottenham and Manchester City.

Cunha, whose late equaliser denied Fulham a first league win of the season, criticised United's energy levels and told Sky Sports: "At the beginning of the second half they put in more energy than us," adding, "We cannot accept this." The Brazilian also referenced the surrounding "noise" when speaking to BBC Match of the Day, and the article notes questions over fitness were first raised in pre-season when Youri Tielemans revealed United were not prioritising running.

Carrick defended his players' condition and the way the team finished the game, saying: "The way we finished the game, actually, it didn't look like that. We finished the game really strong actually, and kept pushing. I don't think that's an issue, no." He addressed fans' reaction to the substitution of Kobbie Mainoo, stating: "I've spoken to Kobbie after the game and he's absolutely fine. I understand at times when we are chasing the game, everyone's a little bit emotional. The supporters are, as well they should be, desperate for us to do the right thing."

Carrick also praised the crowd: "The supporters were unbelievable today, I have to say, all the way through, and stuck with the boys and supported them. At least we've given them something small at the end to take from it, and I'm sure there's more to come." He dismissed taking the boos personally: "But I don't take any negatives or offence to it. I think we've just got to try and keep doing the right things to get back into the game."

The draw leaves United with five points from five games, placing them 12th and 10 points behind leaders Manchester City; Fulham started the game at the foot of the Premier League and have since swapped places with Tottenham. Squad matters were noted: £70m summer signing Carlos Baleba has yet to make his debut, Matthijs de Ligt was not involved though both were part of the squad that travelled south on Saturday, and Benjamin Sesko missed the game after a recurrence of the shin problem he suffered against Brighton that previously required a recovery programme ruling him out for more than three months.

Off-field issues were also highlighted: a club crackdown on ticket touting has annoyed supporters, and United's new stadium project is described as set to cost in excess of £2bn with planning permission potentially to be submitted with the main Old Trafford masterplan earmarked for late 2027 or early 2028.

Carrick emphasised the length of the campaign and the club's intent to improve, saying: "It's still a big season ahead," and "It's a long season and you're going to have spells through a season. That's part of the journey. It's not a sprint, it's a long effort." United will release their full-year financial results to 30 June on Wednesday, when the full extent of the club's current debt will be revealed.