Gary Neville Blasts Ruben Amorim’s ‘Embarrassing’ Tactics for Manchester United’s Defeat to Tottenham

Gary Neville did not hold back in his criticism of Ruben Amorim’s tactics during Manchester United’s 1-0 loss to Tottenham on Sunday.

The former United captain labelled Amorim’s approach as ‘embarrassing’ and questioned the structure of the midfield setup.

Neville Criticises Amorim’s Tactical Setup in Spurs Defeat

United’s midfield pairing of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro appeared completely disjointed, with Fernandes frequently drifting to the right wing. This left Casemiro exposed, giving Spurs too much space to exploit.

Neville’s criticism came shortly after James Maddison’s early goal for Spurs, which highlighted United’s defensive frailties.

“The distance between the two central midfield players—see where Casemiro is and where Bruno Fernandes is—that cannot be right. It breaks all rules in football. Absolute madness,” Neville said during Sky Sports commentary.

Neville continued to blast Amorim’s tactics as unbalanced. “Bruno Fernandes is playing right wing, the two of them in midfield are split, it’s embarrassing. You wouldn’t see this in Under-9s or Under-10s football.’

His criticism reflects growing concerns about Amorim’s tenure at United, who continue to struggle in the league. The Red Devils are now sitting 15th in the Premier League table, while Tottenham’s victory lifted them to 12th place.

🗣️ Gary Neville: “Amorim is really angry. He is going mad at his bench. He is shouting at people. I'm not sure what he is angry about. The biggest problem l can see is how this team are set up.” pic.twitter.com/96DUD1fm5U

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) February 16, 2025