"Two positions I would focus most on" – Gary Neville on areas Manchester United need to strengthen to become champions

Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes the Red Devils are only two players away from competing for the Premier League title.

Gary Neville rose through the ranks at Old Trafford and played his entire career in the colors of Manchester United.

He retired with a cabinet full of trophies in 2011 and after a short stint in football management, the Englishman has continued his role as a pundit for Sky Sports.

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast following Manchester United’s 0-0 draw against Liverpool, he named the two positions in the team that his former club needed to strengthen.

“So a centre-back that gets them up the pitch that extra 10 yards and maybe that right winger. There’s still a question mark over whether the centre-forwards are good enough, but at the moment those are the two positions I would focus most on,” said Neville.

“Manchester United just need that little bit of belief, couple of extra players, they’re not as far away as it looks if Liverpool and Manchester City stay at this standard and don’t jump back up to that 100-points-a-season standard which is incredible,” he added.

#mufc are currently on the longest unbeaten run in Europe's top five leagues (12 matches) #mulive [@WhoScored]

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A goalscoring right-winger could have helped Manchester United against Liverpool, says Neville

Gary Neville pointed out that United had a cautious approach against Liverpool, which he said can be addressed by strengthening the center-back position.

“I look at this game and think where can you go from being [challengers] to being title winners. One thing would be Manchester United need to push up the pitch a bit more, to be up in the game a little bit more,” Gary Neville noted.

“And I think when they come here and play 10 yards further up the pitch – maybe in a couple of seasons or next season when maybe they’ve got another centre-half in the club who can give them that confidence to do so – at that point that’s when you’ll start to see them doing it,” he further added.

The former Manchester United skipper also claimed that a right-winger could have helped the Red Devils against Liverpool. He said:

“The other bit is that right-hand side is emerging… well, not emerging, it is a problem. There’s no doubt. Because I think if there was a goalscoring right winger in that squad today, with Rashford and Martial – and maybe Greenwood could have been the person but he’s just not quite there yet – that I think would potentially be a difference.”

Man Utd are unbeaten in their last 16 away matches in the #PL (W12 D4)Only once have they gone longer without a defeat on the road in the competition (17 games ending in September 1999)#LIVMUN pic.twitter.com/gBDIKuvaJS

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 17, 2021