Gary Neville demands Rúben Amorim drops Manchester United duo from XI vs Liverpool

Gary Neville has demanded that Rúben Amorim drop two of his Manchester United star from the XI that he sets out to face Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

Manchester United will open their 2025 campaign with a challenging trip to Anfield on Sunday afternoon, where they will face Premier League leaders Liverpool in what could be their toughest test of the season.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool are soaring at the top of the table, while United are struggling in 14th place, only seven points above the relegation zone. Manager Rúben Amorim has acknowledged that the club are going through one of the darkest periods in their modern history.

United have suffered five defeats in their last six league matches, including home losses to Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Newcastle United. Away from home, they have also fallen to Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Although the odds are heavily stacked against them, a win at Anfield could be a turning point for United, offering a chance to leave a dismal 2024 behind and start the new year with renewed hope.

Neville admits he’s worried about the Liverpool game

Speaking to Sky Sports following the Newcastle United loss earlier this week, Neville admitted that he is worried about the upcoming fixture against one of the most in-form teams in world football.

“Do we have to go to Anfield on Sunday?” the former United captain joked.

“Do you remember in the old days when Sunday League teams wouldn’t turn up because they said the traffic was bad or a few players were unwell?

“Obviously, joking aside, I’ve no idea how they approach this game on Sunday. Manchester United have found this fixture very tough in recent years. The 7-0, I was there watching it to the bitter end like many Manchester United fans were.

“You’re fearing not necessarily of that, but you’re wondering what Ruben Amorim can do? He can point to the Manchester City performance, but I genuinely don’t know.”

Neville demands Amorim drop two players from the XI

Further, Neville explained that he feels Amorim may need to drop United duo Joshua Zirkzee and Bruno Fernandes from the team that faces Liverpool as they do not pose enough of an explosive threat to Liverpool’s full-backs, while those such as Marcus Rashford or Alejandro Garnacho would.

Although Fernandes did not play against Newcastle due to suspension, he is a regular in Amorim’s teams, while Zirkzee played as a left-sided attacking player against Newcastle but was withdrawn after just 33 minutes.

Although it has since been revealed that Rashford is likely to miss the game through illness, Amorim still has Garnacho and Amad at his disposal, who are fast and unpredictable wingers.

“Some players may come back,” he continued. “Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford haven’t been showing the application in training… but they are better than the players out on the pitch currently.

“They’ve got legs and if Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are lining up against Zirkzee or Bruno [Fernandes] in wide areas, they would probably prefer that to Garnacho and Rashford.

“That will be difficult for Amorim as he wants to set a new culture and standard in the dressing room of what’s right. He’s not liked some of the things he’s seen in the past month or so but right now, it’s needs-must and it’s desperate.

“United are only seven points off the relegation zone. They play Liverpool and then Arsenal away so it’s a really tough moment.

“It’s a young manager who has come over and needs time to settle in, but when results are this bad, it piles on the pressure and Anfield is an unforgiving place to go. It’s the worst place at the best of times.

“The form they’re in is out of this world. I have some fear for Sunday.”

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