Man Utd drew with Fulham 1-1 away from home, and Neville claimed that after watching Man Utd since he was 5 years old, the opening 15 minutes of the second half in this match was the worst performance he had ever seen. The Athletic's assessment of the match noted that the 15 minutes Neville mentioned was not even Man Utd's worst spell of the week, and pointed out that only Everton and Bournemouth have made substitutions later than Man Utd this season. Carrick's tactical decisions and substitution timing came under scrutiny once again.

Lisandro Martinez scored an astonishing own goal to put Fulham ahead, before a late strike from Matheus Cunha salvaged a point for Man Utd at Craven Cottage.

After five Premier League matches, Man Utd have 5 points and sit 12th in the table ahead of the international break. Since the end of World War II, this is only the third time Man Utd have failed to win a match in September, with previous instances in 1947 and 2005, and this year in 2024.

Having already lost to Brighton in the League Cup and Manchester City in their most recent Premier League match, things could have been far worse if not for Cunha's timely equalizer.

Is Man Utd Really as Bad as Neville Says?

When watching a match live without being influenced by commentary bias, and then hearing the post-match analysis afterwards, it can be interesting to see how a commentator's perspective completely contradicts what you witnessed directly.

Neville was extremely frustrated with Man Utd's second-half display, saying: "I've watched Man Utd since I was 5 years old, and that's the worst 15 minutes I've ever seen from them."

This assessment may be hyperbolic, as Man Utd have certainly experienced far more painful episodes in recent years, including the devastating 0-7 loss to Liverpool three years ago. Any 15 minutes of that match was likely worse than this.

Man Utd did drop deep entirely after the restart and failed to register a shot before Martinez's own goal, but this defensive approach also created counter-attacking opportunities.

In the 50th minute, Timothy Castagne committed a tactical foul on Rashford and received a yellow card; otherwise, Rashford could have been clean through on goal. Shortly after, Rashford burst forward again on the counter-attack, but the final pass lacked quality. In at least these two moments, a glimmer of hope for the team could be seen.

Objectively speaking, Man Utd made numerous changes in their League Cup tie against Brighton, so that 3-2 defeat has limited reference value. Nevertheless, the 15 minutes Neville highlighted was not even Man Utd's worst spell of the week.

Reviewing Martinez's Own Goal

This mistake was a chain of errors for which Man Utd must take responsibility.

Fulham breached Man Utd's high press once more. Iwobi won the ball, beat Kobbie Mainoo, and passed to Oscar Bobb on the right wing, who then played it to Josh King. King beat Shaw and delivered a cross. Maguire blocked the ball, which then fell to Bruno Fernandes. Instead of clearing directly, Man Utd attempted to play out from the back.

Fernandes played the ball to Mainoo on the edge of the box. Mainoo was about to pass to Cunha, who had dropped deep to receive, but Calvin Bassey intervened decisively and won the ball. Fulham's centre-back advanced with the ball and shot, with the ball going between Dalot's legs.

Ramsdale, who had made two excellent saves in the first half, was unsighted and made an awkward attempt to block as the ball bounced back into the box.

Martinez initially marked Gonzalo García in the box, then switched his attention to Josh King – who had threatened the far post twice in the first half, and Martinez feared he would break through again.

In the confusion, Martinez stretched his right leg, and the ball struck his foot...

Ramsdale desperately stretched out to block, but could not prevent the ball rolling into the net.

His teammates were filled with doubt and extreme disappointment.

Are Carrick's Substitutions Too Late?

Neville's comments naturally raise this question.

In the opening 15 minutes of the second half, Man Utd were deadlocked with neither side registering a shot during this period. Man Utd created threats through counters, but their pressing intensity was insufficient, allowing Fulham to progress through midfield easily, though their final passes often lacked precision.

This also reignites recent debate about Carrick: are his substitutions always too late? So far this season, only Everton and Bournemouth have made substitutions later than Man Utd.

However, Carrick had limited options in this match. With Sesko and Amad ruled out through injury, only Zirkzee and Shea Lacey remained as available attacking options, aside from Mason Mount and Doku, who came on from the bench.

The presence of Carlos Baleba on the bench is a positive sign, but if Man Utd want to bring him on, they need to control the match earlier.

Regardless, following the international break, Carrick's timing of changes will continue to be scrutinized.

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