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Carrick refutes Neville's 'pathetic' claim - but Man Utd must improve

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick pushed back against harsh criticism from Gary Neville following a sluggish period in their latest fixture against Fulham. Neville had slammed a fifteen-minute stretch of the match as pathetic and pointed to a glaring lack of energy, while forward Matheus Cunha later admitted the opposition brought more intensity after halftime.

Despite trailing following a defensive miscue, United managed to secure a 1-1 stalemate late in the contest thanks to Cunha's deflected shot in the 89th minute. Carrick subsequently defended the physical conditioning of his squad, highlighting how strongly they pushed until the final whistle.

The underwhelming result arrives during a difficult stretch that included a derby defeat to Manchester City and a home loss to Brighton. Compounding the tension, supporters at the stadium voiced their displeasure by booing Carrick's decision to substitute Kobbie Mainoo late in the game.

Carrick downplayed the fan reaction as simple emotional stress from a faithful fanbase desperate for improvement. Meanwhile, questions regarding team preparation and training priorities have lingered since pre-season comments from Youri Tielemans suggested conditioning had not been fully emphasized.

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