Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge with their season in a deepening slump, and the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth has brought an unusually fierce verdict from Gary Neville. The former United captain believes some players have failed both the club and manager Michael Carrick, whose position is now under increasing scrutiny.
A difficult run in Manchester
- Carrick took charge in January 2026 and guided United to third place in the Premier League last season.
- The new campaign has unfolded very differently, with United collecting seven points from eight league matches and sitting 16th in the table.
- Sunday’s home loss to Bournemouth extended the club’s winless sequence to eight games in all competitions.
- The result intensified discussion within the club over Carrick’s future in the job.
Neville, who shared a dressing room with Carrick during his own Manchester United career, placed responsibility for the decline on members of the present squad rather than the coach.
Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast, Neville said he lives in Manchester and knows that certain players have not maintained the standards expected at the club. He accused some of poor preparation, saying they do not go to bed properly, do not eat as they should and do not devote themselves fully to Manchester United.
“They do not live for and breathe the club in the way professionals should,” Neville said. “Success has gone to their heads. Some of these players are nothing.”
Neville’s defence of Carrick
The former defender described Carrick as a man of “integrity, credibility, decency, professionalism” and footballing quality, while arguing that those attributes are absent from parts of the United dressing room.
Neville said Carrick would suffer because the results have not arrived, adding that the past few months had become too much for the manager. In his assessment, Carrick has been unable to make the side perform and the players have turned against him.
United’s next test comes in west London, where they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 31 October, in the Premier League. Kick-off is scheduled for 9:30am Brasília time.
