Gary Neville: Man Utd froze, there's no doubt they bottled the derby

Despite 

's late goals, which brought the score to a more respectable 6-2, the game was basically gone after 

 took a 4-0 lead in the 44th minute.

"The story of the game is that in the first half Manchester United froze. There's no doubt they bottled it,"

 Neville said on Sky Sports' match broadcast. 

"They have been really nervous. They have just not handled this derby at all. " I expected so much more from United. There was no composure. They never settled. They were anxious and nervous on the ball."

United, in their first league game in a month, had reason to be optimistic after recent victories against Arsenal and 

Liverpool

. However, they finished a disappointing second at the Etihad, where both Phil Foden and 

 scored hat tricks. 

"There has been promise in the last few weeks from United. But this is a reminder of how far behind they actually are the best team in the country,"

 Neville said.

Roy Keane

, a former captain of United, was extremely critical of the team. 

"There's nothing for United to take out from this game," said Keane. "The players should be embarrassed. You can't go into half-time 4-0 down in a derby game."

"It's hugely embarrassing, as brilliant as City were United were desperate, particularly in midfield. They were over-ran in midfield and defensively they were all over the shop. Again we look at leadership... there was nothing there from Man Utd. "

"If you're giving players like De Bruyne time and space, you're looking for trouble. United got punished and rightly so. Top-level sport is fantastic but it's brutal. "Today, it was brutal for Manchester United as when you're not quite at it, you get hammered by your local rivals."

 Man City host Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday at 8pm, before Man Utd travel to Omonia in the Europa League on Thursday at 5.45pm.

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