OMM Newsroom
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has commented on the team’s 2026/2027 campaign and the work of head coach Michael Carrick. Manchester United have seven points after seven rounds of the English Premier League.
Neville’s target for the season
Neville said the team’s current level of play and expectations were low, creating an opportunity for Carrick to take a step forward. He said fourth place would be an excellent result for the club, fifth acceptable and sixth a failure. Manchester United should not finish outside the top five, he said, as that would leave the team without qualification for the Champions League.
Neville said missing out on the Champions League would make it harder for the club to attract the players it wants, reduce its revenue by 70 million to 80 million euros and force the team to play in the Europa League on Thursday nights. Fifth place is necessary for Carrick’s development and for the club to grow through investment, he said.
Upcoming matches
Neville said Carrick would face serious problems if Manchester United were 13th in the table in January. With seven rounds played, it is still possible to say the season has only just begun, but the situation needs to change in the coming weeks. Important matches against Bournemouth and away to Chelsea are coming up, and Neville stressed the importance of how the team prepares.
He said any finish below fifth place would be disappointing and represent a decline from expectations at the start of the season. Neville said Manchester United were a long way from that target, while Brighton, Liverpool and Aston Villa were beginning to build momentum. Sky Sports published his comments.
