Gary Neville calls for forgotten Man Utd player to start vs Man City to avoid ‘six-goal’ battering

Gary Neville has urged Erik ten Hag to start with an extra midfield player against Manchester City this weekend, in the FA Cup final.

Manchester United wrap up the 2022/23 season with a third meeting of the campaign against their near rivals. The Red Devils were soundly beaten 6-3 in the first - a scoreline that flattered Ten Hag’s side - but United won the most recent derby 2-1 at Old Trafford, in January.

The big difference between the two games was the decision to introduce Casemiro and Fred into the starting line-up for the second fixture, after both began on the bench at the Etihad. At Old Trafford, the Brazilian duo put in superb displays that prevented City getting into their usual rhythm, and Pep Guardiola’s side only managed one shot on target all afternoon.

Neville has called on Ten Hag to go with the same approach at Wembley on Saturday, despite Fred becoming something of a forgotten man in recent months. The 30-year-old midfielder has started just two of the last 15 in all competitions and hasn’t been selected from the off in a single FA Cup match this season. But Neville feels United need extra legs in midfield and claimed the inclusion of Fred could prevent another six-goal City demolition.

“I don’t want Manchester United to play with Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, and Christian Eriksen in midfield,” claimed the former defender on the latest episode of The Overlap. “The game where they won, it was Fred with Casemiro. I just don’t see how City won’t run amok if it’s Casemiro, Eriksen and Fernandes.

“I feel not having that little bit of something to break the play up [could be key]. When he won the game at Old Trafford, I think he played with Fred and Casemiro, with Eriksen in front. Then they had [Marcu] Rashford, [Anthony] Martial and Fernandes to the right.

“The reason I think that works is because City don’t have a left-back going forward and Bruno can tuck in there which means they almost have four in the middle. Closing that off and letting City’s left-back have it - who that’s going to be, [Manuel] Akanji or [Nathan] Ake?”

“I feel like, for me, if Bruno gets into a little space and comes inside to defend, let City’s left side have it. That’s what I’d like us to do. I’d like that extra [player]. If it’s [Scott] McTominay by the way, alongside Casemiro, it doesn’t really matter. I just feel that having that open midfield is going to be an issue.

“You’ve got Eriksen, Fernandes and only Casmeiro thinks [about defending],” he continued. “The other two do alright without the ball but they’re better on the ball than they are off the ball.

“I think not having that extra man, I would be really worried about that, where it could be 6-0. They played at City, it was 6-1 but ended 6-3 and I think that was with McTominay, Eriksen and Fernandes, and they just got killed.”