Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher deliver Manchester United verdict after chaotic 4-4 draw with Bournemouth
Sky Sports' Gary Neville: "If you're a kid coming to United, my two girls have come tonight, and they'll be thrilled walking back. They won't be happy that United haven't won, but they'll have seen a great game of football and that's what you come to Old Trafford for"
Tuesday 16 December 2025 06:25, UK
Gary Neville enjoyed watching "entertaining" Manchester United in their 4-4 draw with Bournemouth while Jamie Carragher labelled their performance as the best under Ruben Amorim.
United and Bournemouth put on one of the games of the Premier League season so far, trading blows in a thrilling 4-4 draw.
It was a remarkable, roller-coaster night at Old Trafford and an outcome few could have predicted during a dominant start by the hosts. United had 17 first-half shots, the most by any Premier League team in the first 45 minutes of a game this season, and they should have held a greater lead than the 2-1 scoreline.
However, a third straight win at United would have followed for Bournemouth had David Brooks not twice been denied by Senne Lammens in stoppage time as the game eventually ended 4-4.
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Speaking on his podcast, Neville gave his verdict: "It was a stunning watch. I was really critical after the Everton and West Ham games because of just the nature of the performance. I thought it was really bland. The Everton one where obviously he kept three at the back against 10 men and there's no urgency, there's no throwing a kitchen sink at it. Same against West Ham, letting large parts of the game drift.
"This was the complete and utter opposite. I can live with that all day long in terms of a performance and a standard because they played with real intent, played the ball forward, always played at full pace.
"The way when United went 3-2 down and Ruben Amorim then went to 4-4-2 and did the right thing.
"Forget the system, he did the right thing. He got the right players on the pitch and were a massive threat.
"The second half was absolute mayhem. There were big boos after the West Ham and Everton games but there weren't the big boos here after this game. There was disappointment but there were a lot of fans we've just seen who stayed in the stadium to clap the team because they can live with that.
"If you're a kid coming to United - my two girls have come tonight, and they'll be thrilled walking back. They won't be happy that United haven't won, but they'll have seen a great game of football and that's what you come to Old Trafford for.
"You come for entertainment.
"Of course you come to see your team win, and I get it, you've got to go and win games, win trophies, win titles and we could say it's not good enough in respect of what's happened, but I think getting the entertainment bit right, the performance and style right, is absolutely critical at this football club.
"I enjoyed what I've seen tonight from those red shirts.
"Defensively it's to be expected, when you think that De Ligt, Maguire and Martinez are not playing, and you've got obviously a couple of young defenders. It doesn't look like a defence that's going to keep clean sheets.
"You're thinking before the game you probably have to score four to win this game, and four wasn't enough, it needed to be five."
'Best I've seen Man Utd play under Amorim'
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football:
"It's the best I've seen Manchester United play, certainly in the first half, under Amorim, maybe going back to the first game of the season with Arsenal.
"Manchester United were fantastic in those first 25 to 30 minutes. It was almost a throwback to Sir Alex Ferguson - fast, attacking football, people being energetic, making runs forward, being positive being on the front foot, winning the ball back early. There as lots of that.
"But clean sheets are a big problem for them. They had problems at both ends of the pitch last season.
"We highlighted pre-match that they're improving in attack and we saw that again tonight. I thought the attacking players for Manchester United were fantastic.
"They had a lot of young defenders out there tonight that didn't help. I've been there, more often than not when you make a mistake as a young defender, it ends up in the back of your goal and that was the mistake tonight.
"Even though it ended up at 4-4 and Bournemouth should have won it at the end, Manchester United were by far the better team.
"That was the first time in a long time, and certainly under Amorim, that I felt like I was watching how Manchester United should be.
"Just wave after wave of attacks, counter-attacks, and almost the opposition feel like they're getting sucked back into that box in front of the Stretford End. You can't get out."
