Gary Neville names four Manchester United players who make him “cautiously optimistic” this season

Gary Neville has picked out four Manchester United players who are helping him feel more cautiously optimistic about Erik ten Hag’s side this season.

Following Manchester United‘s 2024 FA Cup final win, Erik ten Hag was confirmed as the club’s manager for the 2024/25 season, and since then, the side has had a positive aura.

So far in the summer transfer window, they have brought in Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui, with more signings expected before the deadline on 30 August.

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Gary Neville, club legend and former captain, was critical of the side last season but has now revealed that ahead of 2024/25, he is becoming quietly optimistic about the upcoming campaign.

“No doubt if he has a really poor start and the results the same as last year that he’ll come under massive pressure very quickly but I’m actually quietly optimistic about Manchester United,” Neville told Sky Sports.

I just think that the signs that they’re bringing in are of a different profile than they have in the past. The group of people now who are at the club, from the owner down to the sporting director, technical director, and CEO, will not make the same mistakes that Manchester United made in the last three or four seasons, where they have wasted money, and they made signs that you knew at the time were going to bring pressure to them at some point.”

Further, Neville has named the four new signings the club have brought in as those who are making him cautiously optimistic this season as they are the right profile that the club need.

“I think the profile of the players that they’re bringing in is the right profile. They need a younger, quicker, more athletic, energetic football team, and I think that’s what you’re going to see from Manchester United this year.

“There’s still an imbalance in some parts of the team that need to get better, worries about obviously Luke Shaw who’s now injured at left back and who’s going to play there potentially up front if Højlund does continue with his injury.

“Obviously, you know, United are short up there, but just generally, I think that they’re in a better situation than they were last year, no doubt.”

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