Gary Neville called out Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim over a key detail from the Wolves match and the same mistake must be avoided against Leeds.
Ruben Amorim’s 2025 ended on a sour note after Manchester United dropped points to Wolves in a lacklustre Premier League performance at Old Trafford.
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What does he need to change after the Wolves draw?
United were in action against Wolves on Tuesday evening and the Red Devils were leading the Premier League strugglers thanks to Joshua Zirkzee’s first-half opener.
However, the Red Devils couldn’t even hold on to their lead until the half-time whistle, with Ladislav Krejci netting the equaliser for Wolves in the 45th minute.
United were unable to put themselves back into the lead over Wolves before the full-time whistle and the Red Devils had to settle for a point on the night.
Gary Neville on what he saw from Ruben Amorim’s side against Wolves sums up how many Man Utd fans felt
Manchester United had beaten Newcastle 1-0 in their Premier League clash at Old Trafford ahead of their disappointing performance against Wolves last month.
Ruben Amorim fought tooth and nail to maintain their lead over the Magpies in December 2025, with United even surprising Newcastle with their formation.
The 40-year-old United manager pivoted from his three-man backline in 1-0 win over Magpies and the Red Devils were playing with a four-man backline.
How confident are you Manchester United will beat Leeds in the first game of 2026?
Our recent record against Leeds is very impressive, they have not beaten us since 2010 👀
Fast-forward from the Newcastle result and Amorim had reverted back to his preferred formation within his tactical system for the Red Devils.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Gary Neville Podcast, the Red Devils legend said: “He doesn’t need to say, ‘I haven’t changed because of the media,’ because then he’s telling us basically that the media is in his head.
“The reason he’s had to change is because the performance levels with the 3-4-3 have been so poor and the results have been appalling.”
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Gary Neville added: “When I see that we go back [to three at the back] after five minutes tonight and I’m thinking, ‘No, Ruben, why have you done that?’
“The manager has to look at that and think, ‘I got that wrong. I complicated it.’”
Gary Neville’s verdict on Ruben Amorim’s approach to the Wolves match shows what Man Utd must do against Leeds
The experiment of shifting back to Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system for the Wolves match failed and the United head coach must pivot back to a four-man backline.
The ex-Sporting CP boss does not have to abandon his beliefs, but Amorim’s tactical system for United is deeply limited due to injuries and AFCON-featuring players.
Amorim has to be pragmatic about United’s forthcoming Premier League match against Leeds United, with the Red Devils facing tough tests later this month.
United will play against both Manchester City and Arsenal in the Premier League in January and the Red Devils cannot afford to be complacent with any more points.
Neville was not alone with his feelings about Amorim’s pivot against Wolves, with even some United fans questioning why the Portuguese coach made the overall call.
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