FORMER INTER AND Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo says he is “almost happy” to see Gary Neville struggle at Valencia as it highlights the marked difference between management and punditry.
The Argentine, who took on a rather less spectacular first managerial job in the form of struggling Serie B side Modena, was talking about the former Manchester United defender during an interview with Paolo Di Canio.
Crespo believes Neville was too harsh on television — he was less than complimentary about Di Canio’s Sunderland side during his time as a pundit — but hopes his failings will illustrate the difficulty in swapping a microphone for the dug-out.
“To watch a game from the TV, it’s much different than from the bench,” Crespo explained to FOX Sports. “I’m almost happy for Gary Neville’s troubles at Valencia. I remember he was too harsh as a TV pundit!”
Crespo was rather more upbeat about one of his former managers, Claudio Ranieri, and praised the Italian’s work in taking Leicester City into title contention more than a decade after his time at Chelsea turned sour.
“When he trained me, he had to change everything because so many new players had arrived at Chelsea that he had to integrate into the team,” Crespo recalled.
He was unfortunate because we finished second in the league and were eliminated at the semi-final stage of the Champions League.
“Ranieri with Leicester is doing an incredible job on a mental level. The players are playing with maximum organisation, making the most of their movements.”
The problem with pundits Jose Mourinho said before was that “they never lose a game”, it was probably a bit too much to ask someone with no managerial experience to be a manager of such a big club.
“I never realised that to be a jockey you had to be a horse first.”
Former AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi, dismissing the idea that only former players make successful coaches.
Remember now, Mourinho wasn’t a pro footballer either.
They are queuing up to slag him off.
He has a fair point though, it’s easy talk about it and sound intelligent in hindsight and a hell of a lot harder to organise and motivate a bunch of millionaires
He shouldn’t have got the job in the first place. Destined to fail.
What you mean he shouldn’t have got the job. Wether he got the job or not should only mean something if you support Valencia. If you are not a Valencia supporter then saying he shouldn’t of got the Job is pure Jealousy. He was offered it and he accepted. If Crespo or most other ex footballers was offered it they would of accepted as well.
Bollocks, First job in management is hard enough, to try to take over a La Liga club when you probably dont even speak the language makes it even harder. Was only given the job as friends of the chairman. Would have been a miracle to succeed, surprised results hve been so poor.
I’m guessing it’s hard enough to go from player to manager at any level, let alone in another country where you don’t speak the language. Was always going to end in tears
There were no tears shed for Juande Ramos when his tenure as Spurs manager ended in failure. In fact, if Neville was a Sky pundit back then he would have torn strips off him – with a paring knife though, rather than a cleaver.
You might forget Ramos is only one of two managers in 24 years to win any trophy at Spurs. More success than most
As a Spurs fan, I certainly do not forget. He was sacked because their league start the following season was a total disaster.
I guess the problem is, as Jose Mourinho said before “a pundit never loses a match”, but it was always going to be a difficult task to go into a big club with no managerial experience. However, I like Gary and hope he can turn it around.
Saw the defeat to Gijon. Only thing wrong was the centre forward missing a load of sitters. I don’t think the coach can do much about that. Haven’t seen any of the other games. I bet a lot of people here haven’t seen one minute of one game since Neville took over, yet feel confident enough to lay into him.
It’s not even that Griska most here slag him off and want him to fail cause of who he played for and kissing the badge in front of the Kop !
I was sick to see Ranieri leave Chelsea. I thought he was great. And his Ma loved Duffer
Take your money and to paddy power and get on valencia at 5/2 to beat barca b team tonight