Manchester United are in worse shape under Ruben Amorim and are in full-blown relegation crisis, says Gary Neville.
A miserable 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle on Monday evening left the Red Devils 14th in the Premier League and just seven points above 18th-placed Ipswich Town.
Worryingly, United are 19th in the last six games with just one win and five defeats, with an aggregate score of 4-13.
After starting the month with a 4-0 thrashing of Everton, they have lost their last three home games against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Toon, downgrading their hopes for the new year.
“He (Amorim) was determined that he will not change, but he must suffer deep inside. I'm worried too. It was really grim. That first half hour was difficult to watch as a United fan,” Neville told Sky Sports.
'There is no doubt about it: performance and results have deteriorated in recent weeks. They're finding it very difficult, some players with the system are finding it very difficult with the trust, and the worry is that they're going to get caught up in a fight down there.
'I think they have a lot to do and that means being very friendly. I don't think this group of players is of the quality that Ten Hag has had, Ole has had, Jose Mourinho has had or Louis van Gaal.
'They weren't good enough for Manchester United in those periods, but they were better teams and better squads than they are now.'
It took Newcastle just four minutes to cut United open as Alexander Isak put them ahead, before Joelinton headed them into a 2-0 lead in the 19th minute.
So far, Amorim hasn't ushered in the good times that many hoped for after Erik ten Hag, but he never promised that the overhaul would be easy.
United being panned by pundits is nothing new and the same criticisms apply now as they have for a long time: a lack of energy, big holes in midfield, an imbalance.
Neville continued to beat the drum on Monday night, naming two players he believes should no longer be allowed to perform together.
He said: “We know that a lot of what we actually saw on the pitch was going to happen. Casemiro and (hristian) Eriksen in midfield, Carra did a piece in the studio about (Noussair) Mazraoui and (Diogo) Dalot playing full-backs and being more defensive and that that wouldn't lead to more goals, and that's exactly what happened .
'The idea of Zirkzee in that left pocket, that's not a pocket that you stay in, that's a left pocket that you pick up the Newcastle right-back when he goes forward, that's a left pocket that means you keep going. When he said he wasn't really a number nine and saw him play there, I was surprised.
'I didn't see any balance in the team selection. When I saw the team sheet I was pretty sure it was going to be a battle. It was a grim night.'
Can Eriksen and Casemiro start together again, he was asked?
'No, no. Perhaps that is necessary if there are many injured people. We've all been there in football where you get into your 30s and the last thing you want is someone in your 30s playing next to you.
'The last thing Eriksen sees next to him is someone with a lack of energy. He wants to see someone who can compensate for the things he doesn't have, and vice versa with Casemiro.
'There are players at other clubs at the top who have no legs, but they have people around them who can hide the fact that they have no legs. They can't play as two in midfield, with those huge gaps there are.'
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