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.
Tommy Fury announces return to boxing after his ‘hardest battle’ yet
Danny Jones
Manc boxer Tommy Fury has announced his return to the ring later this year, although he’s still keeping tight-lipped about some of the finer detailsabout his next fight.
Tommy Fury has been stuck on the sidelines for the best part of the last two years following his last boxing match against influencer and musician KSI, having reluctantly stepped away from boxing through injury and well-publicised personal issues outside of the sport.
He ultimately pulled out of his intended comeback against Darren Till ahead of what looked to be an already fraught face-off, and his been quiet on the competitive front ever since – until now.
Revealing a scheduled date for the next fight, the 25-year-old took to social media to confirm that he will be back very soon but is withholding some of the particulars for now.
Writing in the caption, the younger Fury brother said: “Two years out. One surgery. The hardest battle I’ve faced has been the mental battle of being away from boxing. But I’m back stronger, sharper, and more HUNGARY than ever.”
However, the most notable omission is who he will actually be taking on, i.e. one of the main reasons fight fans would be interested in the first place.
Although many have been left frustrated by the infrequency of his fights due to multiple cancellations, it’s clearly a concerted effort to build anticipation ahead of the event.
Sharing the date for his Budapest bout – which is coming much sooner than many would have expected (Friday, 9 May) – he signed off by adding: “It’s showtime. Let’s go!”
Besides the social media post, the local fighter published a lengthy announcement video/teaser trailer on the official Tommy Fury YouTube channel on Monday night, in which he states, “the contract has literally just been signed as we speak”.
You can watch the feature in full down below:
In truth, the majority of the video is about brand deals, but it does show getting some training done.
Hyping up his undefeated record, with 10 wins to his name thus far in his still fairly fledgling boxing career, he goes on to say he is “over the moon” and ready to get back in business.
Only time will tell whether this fight will actually go ahead as his followers have gotten more than used to seeing his matches postponed or cancelled. First and foremost, who do you think his comeback opponent is gong to be?
His name has mostly been in the headlines due to his high-profile relationship with fellow famous face Molly Mae-Hague.
The couple, who first met on Love Island back in 2019, welcomed their first child, Bambi, back in January 2023 but went on to split up last August. A docuseries covering their struggles dropped at the start of this year.
Featured Images — Screenshot (via YouTube)/Ghazi Twaissi (via WikiCommons)/The Manc Group
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Belle Vue manager warns of former Aces ahead of Premiership clash
Danny Jones
Belle Vue Aces boss and Aussie speedway legend Mark Lemon has warned his side of Oxford Spires’ quality ahead of their face-off in the Premiership, especially as they prepare to come against some ex-ATPI employees.
With a ROWE Motor Oil Premiership round coming up on Monday night (14 April) and the Aces second in the table with five early points total on the board already, the CEO, Director and Team Manager isn’t underestimating the southern opponents.
Even though Oxford have had a tough start to the season, the Manchester racers can’t afford to be complacent, and Lemon has already identified some key threats on the track, including two former Aces.
It’ll be a thrilling night at the National Speedway Stadium (NSS), as always.
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼…
♣️ ATPI Aces v Oxford Spires ⛪️ 🗓️ Monday, April 14, 7.30pm. 🏆 Premiership R1. 🏟️ National Speedway Stadium. 🎟️ Get ticket now: https://t.co/DREWNjxB09 🍴 Hospitality: https://t.co/RFS3gcPD99
Speaking on Sunday ahead of the races, the 52-year-old said: “I know it’s a cliche, but there really aren’t any easy meetings in the Premiership.
“We know what Oxford’s riders are capable of; Rohan [Tungate] and Charles [Wright] can be very good at the National Speedway Stadium, and that makes them dangerous.
“When you add in the likes of [Maciej] Janowski, Erik Riss and guest Dan Thompson, [Oxford Spires] are a strong side.”
33-year-old ‘Magic’ Janoswki from Poland is not only a former world number three but has four FIM Speedway World Cup gold medals to his name.
Nevertheless, the Aces have bounced back after a disappointing 50-40 defeat in the KO Cup by Ipswich Witches to record a double over King’s Lynn Stars, with a narrow loss against Leicester still showing plenty of fight and promise for the rest of the campaign.
Belle Vue Aces’ Jaimon Lidsey pushing hard against King’s Lynn – here’s hoping for more of that against Oxford. (Credit: Taylor Lanning)
Lemon went on to assure that he remains confident, however, adding: “We’re settling back into a routine. It was good that all the boys are getting confidence-building scores.
“Zach Cook, Norick Blodorn and Jake Mulford have all started winning key races and scoring well. Tate Zischke is also solving some bike issues.
“As I’ve said before, at this time of the season, it’s about building momentum. That’s the target.”
The Aces get underway against the Spires at the NSS just down the road in Gorton from 7:30pm – best of luck to all those at Belle Vue.
Danny Jones -
30th September 2024 
