Gary Neville calls out two Man United players who must ‘work harder’ and says the whole team ‘don’t look like they’ve ever met each other’ after his former side dropped more Premier League points in 1-1 draw with Chelsea

Gary Neville reluctantly picked out two players as he tore into Manchester United‘s performance in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Sunday’s result means that United have now dropped 18 points in their first 10 Premier League matches this season and currently lurk in 13th place.

The stalemate was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s second game as United’s interim manager, coming six days after former boss Erik ten Hag had been sacked.

Ten Hag was the fifth permanent manager United have had since Sir Alex Ferguson’s glory-filled 26-year reign ended in 2013.

Ruben Amorim will become the sixth on November 11 and Neville – who played his entire senior club career at United during the Ferguson era – is desperate to see a marked improvement.

Ex-United captain Gary Neville was not impressed by what he witnessed from his former team

Marcus Rashford pictured (left) being held off by Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella (right)

Reacting to his old team’s performance against Chelsea, the former right back said on The Gary Neville Podcast on Sunday night: ‘After 20 minutes you realised it was the same old, same old. You can’t explain it. There’s been five or six managers now since Sir Alex Ferguson and we’re talking about the same things.

‘Manchester United played like an underdog team at times. They sat back on the edge of their own box, looking to counter-attack 70-80 yards up the pitch.’

Neville than turned his attention to Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, who both started Sunday’s game as attacking wide players in United’s 4-2-3-1 formation.

‘I’m not going to dig Rashford and Garnacho out… but I am,’ Neville continued. ‘Because they are two players who have come through the ranks. With that comes some credit… the fact that you’re an academy player and you get a level of buy-in from the fans because of that. So there’s an enthusiasm towards them. Obviously now Rashford’s been in the team for a good few years and Garnacho for a couple of years or so.

‘But when I watch [Bukayo] Saka and [Leandro] Trossard and [Gabriel] Martinelli [playing for Arsenal], and when I watch Bernardo Silva and [Phil] Foden for Man City, or I watch players at Liverpool, I watch them all scurrying back, harassing back and doubling up with real intent.

‘But I’ve watched [Chelsea right back Malo] Gusto run forward there on that far side… we couldn’t believe how much space he got.

Rashford was one of two players called out for criticism by Neville following Sunday’s game

Alejandro Garnacho, pictured reacting to a missed chance, also left Neville underwhelmed

Neville pictured (left) during his playing career in 2011 alongside manager Sir Alex Ferguson

‘The first ethic is that you have to work hard. I’m not saying that Garnacho and Rashford do not work hard, but they can work harder. I know that. That’s in their defensive work – which then, I think, gives you the reward in your attacking play.

‘I played with the likes of Andrei Kanchelskis, David Beckham and obviously Ryan Giggs on the other side for most of the time that I was at United. And the work that they put in off the ball meant that the rewards came for the team on the ball.

‘There is no doubt that the harder you work the luckier you get and the more that life goes for you.

‘They think they’re working hard, they think they’re applying themselves. I understand that confidence and belief isn’t high, they’ve lost their manager, the team aren’t in a good place, I get all that.

‘I never had to suffer all that at United and I don’t know what it’s like to play in this era. But we’ve got to get back to that idea that basically you are all in it together out on that pitch. And Garnacho and Rashford, I have to point towards them today and say that I think they can do a lot more off the ball. A lot more.

‘I’m not interested in what they do on the ball. Honestly, I really am not. I’m interested in whether there is a spirit to fight for the team all the way through the match. And I’m not saying they played badly today or anything. But I watch the other wide players in the league do a lot more than them.

‘They have no idea how to press. I think they need coaching again, almost as if they need to restart and be coached again, this group of players, because they don’t look like they’ve ever met each other.

‘It’s really disappointing. Player after player has come to United for 10 years – and managers – and they’ve not been able to unlock the door that is just a level of performance.’

Garnacho played the full 90 minutes on Sunday, while Rashford was substituted off in the 72nd minute. Garnacho touched the ball 42 times and recorded four shots, while Rashford had 37 touches and two shots.

Garnacho started the game on the right side of United’s attack and played the full 90 minutes

Rashford, who started on the left, was substituted off by Ruud van Nistelrooy (second right)

Neither player made a key pass leading to a chance, while they also made zero tackles or interceptions between them.

Despite United’s underwhelming performance, the home side took the lead on Sunday when Bruno Fernandes converted a 70th-minute penalty kick following goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s foul on Rasmus Hojlund.

But Chelsea were level less than five minutes later when Moises Caicedo netted his first goal of the season.

Van Nistelrooy now has two games remaining as interim manager. The first will come in the Europa League against FK Bodo/Glimt on Thursday evening. United will then host Leicester in the Premier League three days later.