Gary Neville accuses Manchester United players of conning Carrick with unprofessional lifestyles

Gary Neville has publicly condemned a number of Manchester United’s current squad, accusing them of unprofessional behaviour off the pitch and of deceiving manager Michael Carrick during a season that has produced just two wins from 12 matches across all competitions.

Neville, speaking on his podcast, claimed that certain players had lulled Carrick into a false sense of security after helping the club secure Champions League football last season. “They’ve teased him, haven’t they? They’ve conned him for a few months,” Neville said. “He’ll look at those players with disgust. Some of them, he’ll be disgusted with some of those players.”

The former United defender was unsparing in his assessment of the players’ personal standards. “A few of them aren’t that professional. I live in Manchester. There’s a few of them that don’t go to bed at the right time, don’t eat the right things, don’t think about Manchester United every single minute of every day, and aren’t living and breathing this football club as they should be — and as professionals should. They are nothing, some of those players.”

United’s season has deteriorated sharply. A 4-1 defeat at Como was followed by a 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth, a result that saw supporters boo the players off the pitch at Old Trafford, even as they sang Carrick’s name in a show of support for the manager.

Neville pointed to captain Bruno Fernandes’s public comments last week as evidence that the dressing room had fractured. “He’s not been able to get a tune out of them and they’ve turned on him. I know that because if Bruno has turned on him publicly, with that little statement, imagine what they’re like behind the scenes. If that’s your captain saying that, imagine what they’re saying in the dressing room behind closed doors when no one’s listening. That’s horrific.”

Carrick, for his part, has remained composed under mounting pressure. “I totally understand the situation. I’m not expecting anything either way,” the manager said. “I love this place. I’ll always do what I feel is going to be the best for the football club and I won’t change that now, whatever decision is made. It’s a tough situation, there’s no hiding from it.”

With the club’s Champions League campaign and league standing both under threat, the scrutiny on United’s squad — and on Carrick’s future — shows no sign of easing.