Gary Neville believes Manchester United's loss to Hull City demonstrated a need for further defensive reinforcement. He asserts that the club should secure at least one central defender and a full-back before the transfer window closes.
Michael Carrick's team suffered an unexpected defeat to the newly promoted side in their Premier League opener. Neville noted that Hull outperformed their opponents both in tactical organisation and physicality:
This is a serious warning sign. Hull not only matched Manchester United in fitness but were actually better. That will be the most disappointing aspect for Michael Carrick.
Too many players conducted themselves well below their potential. Carrick will want this to be a one-off.
This match made it clear that Manchester United's defence is not good enough. I suspect they know this themselves. Last summer they focused on revamping their attack, and this summer they’ve made a few additions in midfield.
I’m not sure if they have any budget left, but they need a central defender. They also need full-backs. It’s simply essential. The opening game clearly highlighted this.
United have already bolstered their midfield with the signings of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, and Carlos Baleba is expected to be the next recruit. However, following a rocky start to the season, Neville believes the remaining resources should be primarily directed towards strengthening the defence.
