Neville: Man Utd have something to build on after 'best' Amorim performance

Gary Neville believes Manchester United now have something to build on after producing their “best performance” under Ruben Amorim to secure a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.

United displayed plenty of backbone at Liverpool, something Amorim has been asking for, as they scored their first goals at Anfield since 2018 to earn a point against Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Amad Diallo stabbed home Alejandro Garnacho’s cross with 10 minutes remaining – adding to Lisandro Martinez’s first goal in two years – to earn a point having conceded a lead to trail 2-1 after Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah’s penalty had turned things around for Arne Slot’s side.

It was a result and a performance that will have boosted Amorim, who had called for the leaders in the squad to step up after five defeats in his first eight matches in charge.

And Neville, who said he was shocked by United’s performance, believes his former side can take even more from the draw at Liverpool than from the last-gasp win at Man City before Christmas.

It’s the best performance I think under Ruben Amorim, maybe all season by a mile,” Neville said speaking on Sky Sports.

“To come to Anfield, the best team in the league this year, it surpasses that victory at (Manchester) City the other week. City were in a bad moment and the way the game went, they were a little fortunate to get the victory.

“I thought United were magnificent from minute one. They fully deserved [the draw].”

“No one expected that [from Man Utd],” Neville added on The Gary Neville podcast.

“I know that Liverpool fans will probably say they maybe were a little bit complacent coming into it, thinking it was going to be an easy victory, but really I just thought if Liverpool played half well today that Manchester United in their current form, and how they’ve been recently, would be just swept aside. The best I thought I could hope for was almost like a 1-0 or 2-0 defeat.

“I thought United were fantastic.

“I don’t say that lightly because I think it’s hard playing here. The guts and the courage have been questioned, and the quality has been questioned. I’ve questioned them both.

“They demonstrated that they had both in abundance in that game, and I’m surprised, they really shocked me. I thought they were fantastic from minute one to minute 90 against a good Liverpool side, who are always going to throw a lot at you.”

On whether this is now a blueprint for Amorim at Man Utd, Neville said: “I’m sure some people will mention Man City, forget City. City, to be honest with you, was an element of hanging on and then just getting a couple of goals at the end, which was brilliant.

“That was a performance against the best team in the league at the moment, that was from minute one to minute 90, even to go behind in the game and come back, that’s a real performance.

“Amorim has picked a better team, that’s number one, but he also said ‘I’ve not had any time on the training pitch at all with the players’. This last week was the first time he’s had four training sessions with them. He’s now got five next week or six next week, so he did say he just wanted that time.

“Now, I’m not saying everything’s going to be right, but this has been the worst performance of any Man Utd team in a century in terms of league points and stuff like that, so let’s not get carried away, but it’s something to hang your hat on. It really is something to hang your hat on.”

Neville: Midfield underpinned best performance of season

A key part of United’s resolve at Anfield was the performance of midfield duo Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte, along with captain Bruno Fernandes.

Neville was full of praise for the trio, suggesting they outplayed the Liverpool midfield of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones.

“Obviously the team selection had to be much different, the team that starts against Newcastle was never going to win that football match, or most football matches in the Premier League, but Ugarte and Mainoo haven’t been in amazing form in central midfield,” the former Manchester United defender said.

“Bruno playing off the left-hand side again, I actually thought that left-hand side against Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah, I thought that would be a risk for United rather than it being a strength as it ended up being, but I thought the way in which the three of them took the ball, was brilliant.

“I always say to take the ball at Anfield as a midfield player is the hardest, particularly when you’ve got Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Jones against you, they’re all over you. I actually thought that those Liverpool midfield three, I think Mac Allister was the best out there, but Gravenberch and Jones, it’d be harsh to say they went missing, but they certainly found it hard against Mainoo, Ugarte and Fernandes.

“I thought they outplayed them. I thought United got control of the midfield, which I’ve not seen many Manchester United midfields do here, it’s really tough at Anfield to do that.”

‘Man Utd have to back up this performance’

Ahead of kick-off, former United captain Roy Keane pleaded for the Manchester United players to show “more passion” against rivals Liverpool.

The players certainly answered his call but, after the game, Keane said they now have to back up the Liverpool performance and show some consistency.

“Manchester United turned up,” Keane told Sky Sports.

“They showed a bit of passion. They did it at Manchester City recently as well.

“The argument to all of this though is that you can’t just pick and choose when you want to turn up for a game at Manchester United.

“I don’t think anyone would have predicted them scoring two goals today or nearly nicking it at the end. But the key is that they have to back it up.”