Sunday 29 November 2015 10:32, UK
Gary Neville says Manchester United are two match-winning players away from comfortably winning the Premier League.
United are currently third, a point behind joint-leaders Leicester City and Manchester City, having finished fourth in Louis van Gaal's first campaign and seventh the season before under David Moyes.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast following United's 1-1 draw at Leicester on Saturday nigt, Neville feels United did not fully commit to winning the game in the last 15 minutes, and says Van Gaal's side need that match-winning, exciting player to bring them up to peak level.
He said: "If you put two more players into Manchester United's team, say a Gareth Bale or a Cristiano Ronaldo into that team, that team could win the league. Because the structure that is being built at this moment in time is solid.
"But they need that match-winner, that Neymar, that Luis Suarez, the one that is going to light up a game and score one or two goals to take it away, then all of a sudden they would look like a Barcelona, because they're dominating possession, making teams look foolish.
"Even in the last 15 minutes, they didn't fully commit to winning the game. Historically, you would like to see punch after punch, you would want to see bodies being thrown forward, but you might get caught on the counter attack and lose 2-1 that way.
"But that's not the way in which this Manchester United team play, and the heart wants them to go forward, commit players and be reckless in some ways.
"I do think they are quite close when I think about it with my head, but my heart thinks I'd like to see them die trying a little bit more and go for it.
United need that match-winner, that Neymar, that Luis Suarez, the one that is going to light up a game and score one or two goals to take it away.
"But he's a year-and-a-half in, Louis van Gaal, and he should get a lot more time to do what he wants to do. I was in the same opinion when David Moyes was at Manchester United, and I'm in the same opinion now."
Bastian Schweinsteiger equalised for United after Jamie Vardy opened the scoring at the King Power Stadium in the top-of-the-table clash on Saturday Night Football.
The draw means they still have the best defensive record in the division, but Neville is torn between wanting more brave attacking play from his former side and being satisfied with results so far this season.
"I'm torn with Manchester United. The heart, the fan [in me] is listening to the noise.
"The head is saying: 'There's a lot of very good things, if you can dominate every single game, with 60, 65 per cent possession, if you can keep the clean sheets and have the best defensive record in the league.'
"Depay has a chance with five minutes to go, and it's very nearly the perfect away performance.
"When you don't win, people will say it is boring, it's not expansive enough, and that's why I'm a little torn in this moment in time.
"Where they are at this moment in time is a fantastic achievement. Results are important, the style of play might not be everyone's cup of tea, however I do think they are one or two players away from being a team who could easily win the league."
