Gary Neville: 'Seen enough' of United's Tielemans-Mainoo midfield

Gary Neville has delivered a scathing verdict on Manchester United’s midfield pairing of Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo, declaring he’s ‘seen enough’ of their partnership after a lacklustre 1-1 draw with Tottenham ^[1]. The former Red Devils captain, speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, criticised the duo’s lack of dynamism, stating they are not performing at a level that matches the demands of the Premier League at this club.

United, who spent over £150million on midfield reinforcements this summer, entered the match with Tielemans and Mainoo as Michael Carrick’s first-choice central pairing. However, the duo were outplayed by Spurs’ Sandro Tonali, Lucas Bergvall, and Conor Gallagher, with Tielemans replaced before the hour mark ^[1].

The match, played at Old Trafford, saw United take the lead through Bryan Mbeumo and extend their advantage when Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off. Yet, they failed to hold on, conceding a stoppage-time equaliser via Dominic Solanke, prompting boos from sections of the home crowd ^[2].

Neville expressed deep concern over the team’s morale and effort, saying the players appeared to be ‘curling up in a ball’ and that the club seemed ‘a bit big for them’ ^[2]. He highlighted a telling moment on the touchline when Carrick appeared visibly frustrated, shaking his head after a prolonged incident.

With United set to face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and then travel to Leeds, Neville warned that the squad must ‘get a grip’ quickly. He praised the energy brought by Carlos Baleba on his debut, suggesting the pairing could be more effective with a different midfield balance ^[1].

The team now sits with just one Premier League win from six games and remains winless in four outings, raising further questions over Carrick’s tactics and squad selection ^[2]. The extent of the squad’s loss of confidence or mental state beyond Neville’s commentary has not been confirmed. The story was first reported by Metro and Mirror.