Former Manchester United defender Phil Neville has named the four players currently putting both Michael Carrick’s future as manager of the Old Trafford side and the Red Devils’ Premier League safety at risk.

His comments came in the aftermath of United’s dramatic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday evening. Although many - including Rio Ferdinand - praised Carrick and co. for twice coming back from two goals down to snatch a point, the result did little to steady the ship at M16, either on or off the pitch, despite a lap of honour at full-time.

Defensive fragility was at the heart of United’s problems this weekend as they slipped into the relegation zone. However, having won just one of their last 10 matches across all competitions, and with supporters staging an anti-Glazers protest at Old Trafford, it is clear that the issues run much deeper.

The Neville brothers dissected the problems at the club during a segment with USA Sports. While Gary focused more on the behind-the-scenes issues, Phil pulled no punches when discussing four players in particular.

Phil Neville Claims Four Man United Players Could Cost Them Relegation

Relegation for a club of Man United's size feels impossible. That was until now, with the Red Devils sitting 18th in the Premier League, just a point above cellar dwellers Crystal Palace.

At one stage over the weekend, United were sitting rock bottom, and Neville has named the four players he thinks would be at fault for the club's demise if the worst-case scenario did unfold. He said (watch the full segment below):

"It's rinse and repeat, isn't it?" Gary then replied. "Amorim, Ten Hag, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Carrick, Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, David Moyes, Ralf Rangnick - some of them are world-class managers who have had success, there are a lot of promising young managers there, ex-players who know the club as well.

"None of it has worked, because if you recruit badly, if you’ve got poor performance department, poor recruitment department, you’ve not got leadership that is strong right through the spine of the football club, you will fail."

He added: "Every organisation in the world will fail if you’ve not got an aligned leadership from top to bottom - your board and your ownership right the way through to the person who is stood on the pitch trying to play football. There are real issues within that football club, you’ve got people doing those jobs who have never done those jobs before in senior positions."

Michael Carrick Now on a Collision Course That's Become Too Familiar

United have made their worst start to a league season for 40 years and have not won in the Premier League for more than 70 days following the draw against Villa this weekend.

While Carrick may have started his tenure well in January this year, having picked up more points than any other manager between then and the end of the 2025/26 season, he now looks destined to become the seventh permanent manager to come and go since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

The fact he is not alone in coaches starting well at United before going down a well-trodden path of demise proves there are plenty more issues than just the one in charge of the team itself. Recruitment has long been underwhelming - something Lisandro Martinez publicly criticised before being silenced recently - and there is no rhyme or reason to the hierarchy's direction going forward.

United's decision-makers can choose to part ways with another failing ex-player, but who they turn to, and whether Carrick's replacement can handle the pressure any better, is very debatable.