On 21 September, Beijing time (CEST), in the fifth round of the Premier League, Fulham drew 1-1 with Manchester United. After the match, Neville reviewed the game on the Sky Sports podcast.

Let's try to think positively and look at this match from a good perspective. Now there's a long international break, and perhaps, as you say, the team's performance today was very poor. So when the players return from all over the world, what should Carrick do if he wants to make today's match a turning point, so the team can restart and move forward?

Neville: This team has had a very difficult start to the season, hasn't it? And in every match, there's always a different problem in some aspect. For example, against Everton, they failed to control the game after taking the lead. Against Manchester City, they couldn't manage the game well when chasing the score, or rather, when facing an opponent with 10 men. So that match was different, and they didn't handle it well. Of course, we should also acknowledge that they should have got a draw in that match, because the opposing goal shouldn't have been allowed.

In the midweek match against Brighton, they were beaten in every aspect. Brighton played far better than Manchester United. As for the match against Hull City, I think Hull City played more doggedly, more stubbornly, and more proactively. So each match essentially reveals a different problem. Even against Ipswich, the opposition created goal-scoring chances in the first half. Therefore, Manchester United has many areas to evaluate. I don't see a clear and consistent pattern of problems across all the matches.

As for today... I don't know how to describe what I saw today. I have to say, today's performance is a mix of several issues: the quality in the final third isn't good enough, the players are just wandering around defensively, and there's a total lack of urgency. They showed no fight at all, didn't make it difficult for Fulham to play. Fulham probably made a thousand passes in this match. They didn't struggle at all. So Carrick needs to try to find balance.

I think Baleba will definitely come into the team after the international break. He has three more weeks to continue strengthening his fitness and prepare his legs for the demands of the game. He needs to come into the team because Manchester United need more physicality on the pitch. They need more physical presence, more strength, and more proactivity. This team is playing too softly at the moment; opponents find it too easy to face them. There aren't enough players in the squad who think about how to help the team when they don't have the ball. Many players only think about their own performance with the ball; they want to get the ball and play beautifully.

There's nothing wrong with that, because you certainly want players who can light up the game at Old Trafford, whether they're wearing red or, like today, blue. But you also have to do the dirty, hard, and ugly work. You need players willing to fight tooth and nail, fight for you, and battle for you. You need a team that has balance. And right now, this team doesn't have it.

I think perhaps they should consider switching to a 4-3-3 formation. Think about it: Rashford on the left, Mbeumo on the right, Cunha up front, then Bruno Fernandes. That gives you four players. Who among them is really good at defending? I mean, really willing to put in a lot of effort and work defensively. None. Then you have Tielemans and Mainoo in midfield. I think their running speed is somewhat one-dimensional. So, could the team consider playing Baleba in that position? With Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes as a double pivot in front of him, and three players in midfield?

Then the attacking line would still use three forwards. Perhaps Carrick should consider slightly changing the formation to add something different in that position. Because Manchester United are currently too easy for opponents to target. They might concede a goal every week.

Fulham could have scored four or five goals, and Manchester United themselves had chances to score four or five goals. But if we're talking about defence, then Manchester United could also have conceded four or five goals in this match. And against stronger teams, they would really be torn apart defensively.

So Michael Carrick has a lot to think about. But I think what he needs to do is rebalance this starting XI. I think the current 4-2-3-1 formation... I really want Manchester United to continue playing this formation because it's a style of play I enjoy seeing from them. But the problem now is that our formation is too open. The two wing-backs are too wide, which means the two central midfielders are exposed by the opposition. If Bruno Fernandes doesn't drop back in time, the team effectively becomes 4-2-4. That's where the problem arises.

Especially Mainoo and Tielemans, they don't have enough running capacity to cover the entire midfield. So you could try pairing Baleba with Mainoo and see how it works.

But ultimately, I think Carrick might have to switch to a more solid three-man midfield. I imagine Manchester United will next face Atlético Madrid, then Tottenham, and also an away match against Leeds United. I think increasing the physicality and experience of this team will be an important necessity. Maybe they should consider adopting a 4-5-1 formation when defending, and 4-3-3 when attacking. He might have to consider this adjustment.

You could also say that it's still effectively 4-3-3, just with Bruno Fernandes playing further forward. But I think everyone understands what I mean. Bruno Fernandes drops back slightly, with three players in midfield, and two wing players connected to them. This way, the team has five players in midfield when defending, instead of four.

In reality, it's not even a proper four-man midfield currently, because Mbeumo and Rashford don't come into the middle. They don't play like Beckham and Giggs did back then. They don't put in the effort that Beckham and Giggs did at that time. I mean, both of those players were more capable, and they used to drop back actively, move into the middle, and provide defensive cover and pressing when defending. They would do everything you want from a winger.

I have to say, Rashford and Mbeumo are also a different type of player. They're more like centre-forwards playing on the wing, rather than midfielders playing on the wing. They're a different type of player from wingers in the past. So yes, I think Manchester United need major rethinking. This international break has come at the right time.

I think Michael Carrick also needs this break mentally. He needs to step back for a moment, reassess the team's situation, review the previous matches, and sit down and discuss it with his coaching staff. He is short on defensive personnel, but at least he has these players now. You know, he should have other options in defensive positions, but he doesn't. So that will always be a problem.

Today, Lemmens made some good saves. I think Carrick now needs to seriously consider how to protect his back line and build a more solid structure for the entire team. I don't think he will continue using the current formation, and I also don't think he will continue using all these players in the current formation. The team needs to make some changes. If not, they will lose many matches. Because teams are very well organised these days. They analyse their opponents very thoroughly.

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