Neville makes brutally honest claim on Manchester United's top 4 hopes

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes the Red Devils will miss out on next season's UEFA Champions League.

The 47-year-old's comments come after Ralf Rangnick's men labored towards a 1-1 draw against Leicester City at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Kelechi Iheanacho gave the Foxes the lead in the 63rd minute. However, Red Devils midfielder Fred equalized three minutes later. James Maddison then had a goal disallowed by VAR in the 81st minute.

Following their draw, Manchester United remain sixth in the standings, three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal. The Gunners, however, still have two games in hand and have a chance to increase the gap even further.

Speaking on Sky Sports (via the Daily Mail), Neville said the following in regards to United's top-four hopes:

"I think so. That was really bad out there today. I thought it (international break) might work for Manchester United, give them a little break from the club, come back and just have a right go in this last nine games. This is going to be a long two months for those United players and those United fans if they are going to play like that because it was really poor out there today."

He added:

"I think overall there are too many things at this club at this moment in time that are uncertain. Talks around Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford, Cristiano Ronaldo, Cavani, the new manager, Ralf Rangnick. Is he going to be a consultant at the end of the season, is he not?"

Neville believes United fans are now accustomed to such lackluster performances from their side. He said:

'That was a really tough watch today. I'm not angry, I don't think any Manchester United fans left the ground angry tonight, because we've gone probably past anger. We're just flat, we're bored. And there was nothing there today. I do genuinely believe players care, but they lack direction, and that comes from the very top."

The 2021-22 season has not gone according to Manchester United's plans

Manchester United had high expectations this season after they signed Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, and Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2021. However, this campaign has been underwhelming for the Red Devils.

Ralf Rangnick's side have now gone five consecutive seasons without winning a major trophy. The 2017 UEFA Europa League under Jose Mourinho was their last piece of silverware.

The Red Devils are still in with a chance of qualifying for the Champions League, but that looks incredibly difficult at the moment. They have a few challenging games coming up in April against the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool.

Failing to secure Champions League football could have huge repercussions for United's plans for the summer. The club could fail to secure their primary transfer targets and also see stars like Cristiano Ronaldo leave Old Trafford.