'Wouldn't see these tactics in under-9s' - Gary Neville tears into Ruben Amorim's 'awful' Man Utd set-up with Bruno Fernandes & Casemiro 'breaking all the rules in football' during Tottenham clash

United's misery in the Premier League continued at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday as the hosts took an early lead courtesy of Andre Onana's mistake. In the 13th minute of the match, the Cameroonian goalkeeper parried away a shot from Lucas Bergvall directly to the feet of James Maddison, who comfortably found the back of the net from close range.

As the Red Devils headed into the break trailing by a goal, former club captain and pundit Gary Neville slammed manager Amorim's tactics which left central midfielders Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes often out of position in the first half. He also called the Portuguese coach's planning worse than that of strategies used in youth football.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: "We just said about the distance between the two central midfield players. Look at where Casemiro is and where Bruno Fernandes is. That cannot be right. It breaks all rules in football. Look at them - absolute madness, that. They may score goals but the structure of the team is awful. The gaps in that midfield, that's a tactical thing - they've been told to do that. Bruno Fernandes is playing right wing. It's embarrassing.

"You wouldn't see this in under-9s or under-10s football. There's a reason for it. It's because of what [Joshua] Zirkzee did against Newcastle when he kept having to come out to one side. What Amorim said is, 'You stay in there'. But that means then it's impossible for them two behind... that space in midfield there. It's shocking."

United will be back in action next Saturday as they face David Moyes' Everton at Goodison Park in the Premier League, and only a win will do as they seek to climb up from 15th in the table.