Gary Neville says he was proven wrong about one Ruben Amorim decision vs Liverpool

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Manchester United ended their Anfield hoodoo with a 2-1 win over Liverpool on Sunday afternoon – and Red Devils legend Gary Neville says he was proven wrong by United boss Ruben Amorim.

Manchester United hadn’t won at Anfield since January 2016, in a time when Louis van Gaal was manager and Marouane Fellaini was part of their midfield.

However, when summer signing Bryan Mbeumo put United ahead against Liverpool after just 62 seconds on Sunday, it gave them the foundation for a famous Premier League win on Merseyside.

Cody Gakpo’s equaliser in the second half was quickly cancelled out by Harry Maguire’s late header, sending the away fans delirious. And Gary Neville has admitted he was wrong about Ruben Amorim’s team selection as the experience carried them through for three vital points.

Man United legend Gary Neville admits he underestimated Ruben Amorim’s team selection vs Liverpool

Neville believed that Amorim’s team selection of the likes of Casemiro, Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt would not have been enough to stop Liverpool’s pacy, athletic side that has blown teams away in abundance under Arne Slot.

However, the Sky Sports pundit and former right-back was proven wrong as his boyhood club Manchester United secured a huge win against their long-standing rivals Liverpool.

Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, the former England international said: “And not just me, but when I saw the team, I thought, we’ve got no chance. 

“And I had three or four texts from United fans saying, oh my God, Casemiro and Bruno [Fernandes] in midfield, [Harry] Maguire and [Matthijs] De Ligt at the back.

“You know, the pace of Liverpool, honestly, the energy in midfield of Liverpool and the legs.

“And with Casemiro having played two games in the international break for Brazil and obviously traveled from Asia, you’re thinking, how can that be right? But that was pre-match.

“I have to say, within a minute, that had gone because it was a brilliant moment for United, a really good bit of play from Amad, slipping it into Mbeumo. And that just got them off on the right footing.”

Fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher also said Ruben Amorim’s bravery proved people wrong.

It was United’s sturdy defensive performance that saw them over the line, with Bruno Fernandes even naming Leny Yoro as his Man of the Match, and Maguire’s goal proved he should have been in the lineup.

Gary Neville’s concerns were fair after underwhelming Man United results

There is no doubting that Amorim should have been questioned by Neville, in fairness.

The victory at Anfield represented his first back-to-back wins in the Premier League, an incredible record to believe given Amorim took over Manchester United in November last year.

Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes as the midfield duo rarely works, as seen by United’s poor performances last season which saw them finish 15th in the Premier League table.

However, it turned out to be a stroke of genius from the Portuguese boss, with United now ninth in the standings.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
7	SunderlandSunderland	8	4	2	2	9	6	3	14
8	Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace	8	3	4	1	12	8	4	13
9	Manchester UnitedManchester United	8	4	1	3	11	12	-1	13
10	BrightonBrighton	8	3	3	2	12	11	1	12
11	Aston VillaAston Villa	8	3	3	2	8	8	0	12

If they can continue their run of form, having won three of their last four Premier League games, United could even qualify for European football which is a far cry from where they were last season.