It’s almost like Manchester United could have done with a new central defender this summer.
Jose Mourinho had made it very clear to Ed Woodward that a centre-half was a priority in the transfer window but it wasn’t to be and now Mourinho will have to make do with what he’s got.
Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof have been partnered together for both of United’s Premier League games this season but neither looked comfortable on Sunday, when the Red Devils fell to a 3-2 defeat to Brighton.
Mourinho’s sides are usually renowned for their defensive solidity but United fans remain thoroughly unconvinced by the current first-choice pairing at the heart of the back four.
“What we’ve seen today are two players in Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof who are lacking confidence a little bit or maybe they aren’t quite good enough,” Neville said on his podcast. “Maybe the answer lies somewhere in between.
“To me, they look like second-fiddle centre-backs. If they had, for instance, John Terry, Jaap Stam, Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic alongside them then they would probably be alright.”
Neville has predicted a tactical change from Mourinho moving forward as the former United full-back reckons that an extra defender will be added to the team to make them harder to break down.
“I think it will force Manchester United and Jose Mourinho to go three at the back. I think, with the centre-backs he’s got, he will resort to that,” Neville said.
“When I look at the centre-back partnerships that he had at Chelsea, they had power and strength in his teams. He hasn’t got that here yet.
“He is in his third season and I think he will feel extremely disappointed that he wasn’t supported in the transfer market. You can’t leave a house three-quarters built. You have to finish it and complete the build. Then you can think about selling it or renting it because nobody is going to pick it up off you half-built.”
Just what United need – the addition of either Phil Jones or Chris Smalling…
