Gary Neville has unleashed a fierce broadside against the Manchester United playing squad, accusing them of lulling head coach Michael Carrick into a false sense of security before reverting to their damaging ways.

Neville's outburst followed Sunday's 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford, a result that continued a wretched run of form for the club. Goals from Rayan, Marcus Tavernier, and Evanilson capped a catastrophic week that also included a heavy UEFA Champions League loss at Como and a public outburst from captain Bruno Fernandes that drew widespread criticism.

Carrick conned, Neville says

"Michael's still very early in his managerial career and people like [Louis] van Gaal and [Jose] Mourinho have been eaten alive here," Neville said on The Gary Neville Podcast. "He's seen what's happened to Ruben Amorim, he's seen what's happened to Erik ten Hag, he's seen what's happened to Ralf Rangnick, he's seen what's happened to Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer]. The warning signs were there and they've fallen for it."

"This group of players who've been getting managers sacked for a number of years now and underperforming — they've teased him, haven't they? They've conned him for a few months. They have. They've conned him."

Neville's frustration stems from the apparent transformation Manchester United showed in the second half of last season. After Ruben Amorim's departure and Carrick's appointment, the club lost just twice after the turn of the year and won five of their last six Premier League matches to clinch third place and a return to the UEFA Champions League.

Fernandes and Martinez under pressure

The former Manchester United defender highlighted that Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez — both of whom have made pointed public statements in recent weeks — have lost the vocal backing of the Old Trafford faithful in a way that Carrick himself has not. Neville described their comments as a direct attack on the head coach, suggesting that what has been said publicly represents only a fraction of the underlying discontent.

Carrick himself has hinted at deeper problems, indicating that certain first-team players are failing to meet behavioural standards off the pitch and that anyone living locally could draw the same conclusion.

A brutal run of fixtures ahead

Manchester United's situation grows more precarious by the week. Carrick's side have managed just two wins in 12 matches across all competitions — a narrow victory over Sabah in the UEFA Champions League and a Premier League win against Ipswich Town.

Their next four matches are against Chelsea, Roma, Aston Villa, and Liverpool. Whether Carrick remains in the dugout for all four of those encounters is, as things stand, deeply uncertain.