'Higuain has to perform' - Inter Miami boss Neville wants more from striker after quiet start to MLS season

Inter Miami coach Phil Neville has called on Gonzalo Higuain to raise his game after a mediocre start to the 2022 MLS campaign.

Former Real Madrid, Juventus and Argentina star Higuain is still waiting for his first goal of the season after firing blanks in Inter's opening three games.

The team too is in a slump, picking up just one point so far to drop near the foot of the Eastern Conference.

“For us to be successful he has to perform,” Neville told reporters following Saturday's 2-0 reverse at the hands of Los Angeles FC.

“For us to be successful, he has to perform in these moments for this team. That’s the challenge.

"For me, and I’m really strong on this, his role hasn’t changed. He is the one that is our best finisher.

"He is the one that we demand the most goals from. He is the one that we demand the most assists from. Period.”

Despite going down to a second straight MLS defeat, ex-Manchester United defender Neville nevertheless saw signs of improvement from Inter's 5-1 drubbing to Austin FC last week.

“We’re just in that sticky period at the moment where we don’t seem to get a break, and things are just going against us,” he added.

“But that’s life and you've got to go through that. This is a great learning curve for this team, and the fact that they never gave in, the fact that they worked so hard, made me really proud of them.”