Manchester United legend Gary Neville has warned that the club must finish in the Premier League’s top five this season to secure Champions League qualification.
Neville gave the warning after United were held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday, October 18, extending their winless run in all competitions to six matches.
Bryan Mbeumo put United ahead in the 35th minute before Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalised for Leeds six minutes after the break.
The result left Michael Carrick’s side 13th in the Premier League table with seven points from seven matches and just one league victory.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville rated fourth place as an excellent outcome and fifth as an acceptable one, but warned that finishing lower could have serious consequences.
“I would say fourth would be a birdie, fifth would be par, and sixth would be a bogey,” he said.
“But they can’t finish outside the top five, because then you’re missing out on Champions League and it becomes a vicious circle.”
Neville’s comments underline the pressure on United to improve their results and return to European football’s premier club competition.
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