Gary Neville on Manchester United's Premier League title hopes: "You just watch them and think there isn't a team emerging there who can challenge for the title. My gut feeling is to still say I don't think Manchester United are going to win the league."
Monday 21 December 2020 23:44, UK
Man Utd would have "snapped everybody's hand off" to have the chance to move two points off the top but "have not played" like title challengers, says Gary Neville.
United moved up to third - the first time they have occupied a Champions League-qualifying spot all season - with a 6-2 thrashing of Leeds at Old Trafford on Super Sunday, with a game in hand over second-placed Leicester and leaders Liverpool which could lift them within two points of the top of the table should they win.
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Ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane told Sky Sports the result, and United's recent run of six wins from their last seven games, showed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side could prove real title challengers this season, but Neville believes his former club still don't look like a side capable of competing for the Premier League trophy.
"For Manchester United it was about closing the gap, no one ever thought they would be in a position to go so close," he said on the Gary Neville podcast. "They're going to go second in the league if they can close that gap. It doesn't feel like Manchester United have played like that.
"There has been talk of the manager's job, going out of Europe was a big problem, the performances at times have been horrible.
"You just watch them and think there isn't a team emerging there who can challenge for the title. My gut feeling is to still say I don't think Manchester United are going to win the league.
"But I am surprised, it's bizarre where they are considering a couple of weeks ago you were thinking this could be difficult, a challenging period coming into Christmas, but it's looking a little bit rosier.
"Their form's really good. They're scoring goals, coming back in matches, today they've played well, it's a big game against Leicester on Boxing Day, but there's something not right.
"But then when you look at where they are in the league, and they can go two points behind Liverpool, if you'd said at the start of the season they'd be in a position to do that, coming into Christmas, you'd have snapped everyone's hands off."
Manchester United had scored only three goals at Old Trafford in six home league games prior to demolishing Leeds on Sunday night, trebling their home scoring record in the process to record only their second win in Manchester this season.
Despite such a contrasting result and performance compared with the rest of their home season to date, United's day's work was no surprise to Neville, against a Leeds side who had already shipped 24 goals in 13 matches coming into the game.
"It was a game we thought we would see, I was excited waking up and thinking about it," he said. "I just thought Leeds would be perfect for Manchester United, I couldn't see how the players Manchester United have couldn't cause them big problems on the counter-attack.
"Not just on the counter-attack, they're good one-on-one. Martial, Rashford, Greenwood - or James as it was - fed by Fernandes, they were always going to create big chances, but it was McTominay who was outstanding in that first few minutes.
"He was like Keane and Scholes rolled into one. It was a breathtaking start. They were right at it from the first 20 seconds Manchester United. They were quick in the passing, running forward, really committed to scoring goals knowing they couldn't sit back and take this Leeds team on this way.
"We know they can be poor when they have to break teams down sometimes, teams can counter-attack on them, particularly at Old Trafford, but Leeds don't do that. The minute you get in behind them and can win the ball back, you're in serious business if you're Rashford."
