Neville: Man Utd of old are returning

Gary Neville believes the Manchester United of old are returning under Jose Mourinho.

The Old Trafford club have been in the doldrums since Alex Ferguson retired in the summer of 2013, enduring a single disastrous season under David Moyes before Louis Van Gaal's two-year reign, despite Champions League qualification in one season and an FA Cup win in the other, ultimately ended in failure.

Many observers felt Mourinho was the right man to replace Ferguson in 2013 but he only finally came to the club last summer and despite heavy spending in the transfer window, Utd suffered a poor start to the season which has left them out of the title reckoning.

However, in recent weeks the team has begun to take shape, results have started to improve and a top four challenge is back on, and Neville feels his old side are, finally, back on the right track.

“They are not where they should be or want to be. But – and I’m judging them from a low expectation level after the last three years – I like them a lot more than I have done the last two years,” he said.

“I saw something at Crystal Palace last week — it feels like United used to be. It feels like the spirit, the celebrating on the pitch at the end, the fans being with the players.

“The profile of player that has been brought in this year is far more of the profile of a United player than for the previous two or three years.

“There have been far too many signings that have been off-piste — not the profile of United player you would expect. This team that I see being ­developed now is better. It has ­character a bit of arrogance – Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], [Paul] Pogba.

“There’s an arrogance up top. There’s a guy up there who believes he is God. That’s Manchester United and what the fans expect. A [Eric] Cantona or Denis Law, George Best, [Cristiano] Ronaldo. They expect that figure in the team, who stands up there and has that personality when you go.

“And Pogba, he’ll be very good – a big price-tag, but you can see signs of what he is capable of. Michael Carrick is providing that composure and Ander Herrera is playing well. I like it a lot more."

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