Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has called for serious questions to be asked of manager Erik ten Hag and his players after what he labelled an “absolutely disgusting” performance against Tottenham Hotspur.
The club legend turned pundit and entrepreneur was on co-comms for the Premier League meeting which ended up being a 3-0 rout by the visitors which included two goals barely moments into each half and one final blow that saw hordes of fans trudge out of Old Trafford in the 77th minute.
Some chaos thanks to a controversial red card shown to Bruno Fernandes saw the Reds play well over half the 90 with just 10 men, but very few excuses could be made for an all-around shambolic showing by the home team.
Gary Neville and Sky Sports delivered a lengthy post-match review as part of his podcast following the result, in which he said it was nothing short of “disgraceful” and that a serious investigation into the dressing room needs to take place – and soon.
"It was a disgusting performance" 😤
Gary Neville says something is going wrong in the Manchester United dressing room ❌ pic.twitter.com/nxRSRM3cDe
The retired right-back began by referencing midfielder Christian Eriksen’s comments after the previous game in the Europa League where United could only muster a draw against FC Twente, especially as a senior figure who is inside the dressing room and has seen it all over a lengthy career.
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“When he says that they don’t want it as much as another team in a game of football, that matters more than anything anyone else can say because he’s inside there, he’s seen with his own eyes. We know [the changing room] can’t be great because it transmits out onto the pitch”, began Neville.
The 49-year-old described it as “an absolutely disgusting performance in that first half, in effort, quality, everything you want in a football team […] That really was a nothing [game] and my heart sinks”, adding: “There are going to be a lot of questions to answer for that group and the manager in the next week
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Going on to note that from a purely defensive point of view, the players don’t look like they even know when to trigger a press and simply let teams walk through them, particularly for the first goal, he summed it up as a “shocking day all-round, in terms of idea, plan, effort – in terms of everything.
You can see Neville’s full verdict on United‘s calamitous collapse – all 24 minutes and 36 seconds of it – vs Spurs down below.
We think it’s fair to say Gary Neville has A LOT of thoughts on ten Hag and United after that game too.
Neville is just one of many ex-pros, be they United-affiliated or not, that came out to comment on the performance, with countless calling it simply “embarrassing”.
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Fellow Sky Sports panellist Jamie Redknapp went so far as to say that the club had hit “rock bottom” and is now “going backwards” under ten Hag, as talk of him potentially getting the sack is now ramping up once again.
While many fans felt first official Chris Kavanagh did let the game get out of control and that the sending-off only added to the chaos, as Neville put it, “that’s only half the story” and the other half was that the team put in “their very worst possible showing.”
What do you reckon: how long does the Dutchman have to turn things around at the Theatre of Dreams or should Man United act now? You can see the highlights from the match down below.
Salford RLFC finally confirm new head and assistant coaches
Danny Jones
Salford RLFC have finally announced their new head and assistant coach picks as the new rugby league season fast approaches.
The Salfordian phoenix club had already confirmed they’d reached provisional pre-contract agreements with a new boss and several players following the news of the consortium bid that kept the sporting institution alive, but now they officially have a new leadership team to get behind.
Following Salford Red Devils’ resurrection by the aforementioned investment group – though it still remains unclear whether this will eventually include a full rebranding – familiar face Mike Grady and his assistant Dave Hewitt are now in place.
They replace ex-boss Paul Rowley, now at St Helens, and his assistant, Kurt Haggerty, who both left in October and September of last year, respectively.
Sharing the news in an official statement on their new Instagram account amid a major overhaul of their online presence, the local side wrote: “We are proud to announce Mike as the new Head Coach of Salford RLFC, joined by Dave Hewitt as Assistant Coach.
“Mike brings over 12 years of coaching experience across club and international rugby, most recently leading the Salford Women’s team and previously coaching at Widnes.
“His appointment marks another big step forward in our rebuild, combining experience, passion and a deep understanding of what Salford rugby league stands for: hard work, resilience and exciting rugby.
“Joining him, Dave Hewitt, former St Helens and England Academy player, will focus on developing our attacking play and nurturing new talent.”
Hewitt also played for Oldham RLFC across three spells, as well as Rochdale Hornets.
As for the board, they sign off by adding: “Together, Mike and Dave represent the energy and belief driving this new era for Salford RLFC.”
With several ‘key announcements’ soon to be made, we can expect a better idea of what the new and hopefully improved Salford will look like in time for their opener against the Roughyeds in the Championship on Friday, 16 January.
It is worth noting that the club have yet to reveal any actual squad signings.
As for co-owner Caton-Brown, who knows all about the club and the community from his several years playing in the area, we have the pleasure of chatting with him first-hand about the vision for their future.
As a result, Pep Guardiola and co. have decided to cut the 20-year-old’s loan spell at Championship outfit Watford FC short to bolster their ranks along the backline.
The Italian journalist gave the reports the ‘Here We Go!’ seal of approval on Monday, 5 January, following confirmation of Gvardiol‘s ankle problem.
“Man City act fast as Josko Gvardiol will now be out for several weeks with injury”, he writes, “and so Max Alleyne returns.”
Himself a bit of a utility player, having also been deployed in defensive midfield on occasion, the Bristol-born youth academy product could prove a useful option in various positions across the pitch.
While Guardiola admitted that the versatile Croatian star’s issue “doesn’t look good” – this being the same ankle he had surgery on back in November 2025 – it remains to be seen how serious his Portuguese teammate’s muscle concern is.
Romano continues: “Alleyne has been doing great at Watford on loan… City informed the London club this morning, even if they’re very happy [with] how they managed Max over recent months. Club-to-club good relationship, City wanted Alleyne in their squad ASAP, and Watford let Max leave today.”
The England prospect has represented his country in every age group from the under-17s to Lee Carsley’s U21 side, and has certainly impressed on the national stage.
Danny Jones -
30th September 2024 
