Gary Neville takes aim at Ruben Amorim for making 'absolutely ridiculous' Man United decision

Gary Neville has questioned whether Ruben Amorim knows how to get the best out of Mason Mount following Manchester United's defeat to Brentford at the weekend

Gary Neville has questioned why Ruben Amorim keeps playing Mason Mount at left wing-back. The 26-year-old midfielder, who Manchester United signed from Chelsea for £60m in July 2023, came on for Luke Shaw during Saturday afternoon's 3-1 defeat to Brentford.

Mount had started each of United's first three games of the new Premier League season before picking up a knock in the 3-2 win over Burnley. The England international missed the Manchester Derby, and he made his return off the bench in the 2-1 victory against Chelsea.

Mount appeared again at the weekend, but he couldn't claw back a point for Amorim's side. Shortly after coming on, Mathias Jensen put the third and final nail in United's coffin after a quick break.

Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast at St. James' Park on Sunday evening, Neville reflected on the result at the G-Tech Community Stadium. The United legend described the decision to play Mount at left wing-back again as 'absolutely ridiculous'.

"There was something that happened in that game that I mentioned on my podcast two or three weeks ago that I said we couldn't see again," said Neville. "I said that Mason Mount ended up at left wing-back.

"There's sticking to your plan, and then there's your coach that's got an idea and making sure that he delivers that idea and not flip-flopping with his idea with players, which can sometimes undermine what you're trying to achieve.

“But then when you're putting Mason Mount at left wing-back – and he's ended up at left wing-back again at Brentford in the last five minutes of the game – it starts to look awful."

He added: "You can't put Mason Mount at left wing-back. I'm sorry, it just can't happen. I can't watch Mason Mount play left wing-back in a football team.

"I struggled at times to watch him in his natural position, but actually putting him out there on the left wing, is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous."

On United, Neville said: I'm very worried. The performance that we saw and the result at Brentford means that you feel the Chelsea game was skewed by the sending off.

"You start to look at the Chelsea win less positively. That's just football. I think there are a lot of United fans coming out of that ground last Saturday, including me, thinking, 'Brentford away, Sunderland at home next week has a real opportunity to get nine points on the board, on the bounce, and then you'll be well up in the top six or eight'.

"But the Brentford game was a really poor performance and a real worry. I felt for the first time, just through instinct, watching it on the television, seeing players' faces and body language, that there might be an element of players really doubting the system and what's going on."

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