Gary Neville did not hold back as he delivered a withering assessment of the drab Manchester derby, accusing the players of being ‘so robotic’.
A dire first half set the tone for an underwhelming showdown at Old Trafford as both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances to energise the crowd.
It did not improve after the interval, either, with Joshua Zirkzee seeing United’s best opening parried by Ederson and Manuel Ugarte flashing wide of the target.
At the other end, Phil Foden fired wide from eight yards out while Omar Marmoush forced Andre Onana into action after sweetly meeting a half-volley.
The result did little for either club and Neville was disappointed by the pleasantries on show after the final whistle, believing they were the symptom of a larger problem.
He also accused the two rivals of lacking the courage needed to win the game.
Manchester United and Man City played out a drab goalless derby draw at Old Trafford
Neither side was able to create a clear-cut chance, forcing them to settle for a point
Gary Neville ripped into the spectacle and accused both sets of players of being ‘robotic’
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: ‘The love-in that I’m watching tells you that both teams feel happy with a 0-0. I think the best City teams and the best United teams would be very disappointed at the end of that game with the way they approached it.
‘I mean, it looks like it’s Sunday afternoon – they’re gonna go for a roast dinner now.
‘They’re micromanaged within an inch of their lives – so robotic, that game – and quite symptomatic, actually, of a lot of games that we’re watching nowadays.
‘It’s not good enough. I feel disappointed.
‘It’s a Manchester Derby and it should have more blood, thunder, and risk, and courage involved in playing the game and trying to win the game than that.’
United boss Ruben Amorim admitted his side must improve in ‘every aspect’ after another blunt performance, telling Sky Sports: ‘Every player can improve, they are here because they showed something at other clubs. They have the quality.
‘We are still a team that plays on transition. We need to spend more time in final third to have more opportunities.’
But captain Bruno Fernandes was content to take a point even if the hosts, who are 13th in the table, were sorely missing ‘killer instinct’ when in dangerous positions.
The result does little for either club with City still fifth and United languishing in 13th place
Joshua Zirkzee saw United’s best opening of the game palmed away by Ederson
Phil Foden fired wide from eight yards out (pictured) while Omar Marmoush’s strike was saved
‘Happy with the performance,’ Fernandes told Sky Sports. ‘Obviously, the result – not the one [we wanted] to win games. And we need points in the league.
‘We are aware of that. Obviously, we played against a very good side. I think the game was there for both teams. I think we were a little bit more dangerous.
‘We created more opportunities. We just need to have more of the killer instinct to get the goals. In the first half, I think we had too many chances, and we have to get one.
‘When you play against City, they want to have the ball. They will overload places and sides, and you have to be patient with your pressure. But we did that very well today.
‘We were very well organised. But as I said, the killer instinct today was missing a little bit. But we created a lot of chances. That’s a good point.’
