LAST UPDATE | 14 Aug 2019
GARY NEVILLE BELIEVES Manchester United will rediscover some of their success of old in the not-too-distant future and claims his former club will “probably win the league before Liverpool”, whose talisman Mohamed Salah he ‘guarantees’ will leave Anfield in the next 12 months.
Neville also stated his belief that United’s owners, the Glazer family, will not be forced from their position by way of protest, and suggested fans’ dissatisfaction with the Americans only rears its head when the club isn’t winning trophies.
Speaking at a fans event for SkyBet alongside his fellow pundit Jamie Carragher, Neville backed United’s transfer business over the summer, and indicated that the loss of players such as Ander Herrera and Romelu Lukaku wouldn’t be detrimental in the long run.
“I don’t disagree with what they’ve done this summer,” he said. “Manchester United were never going to get the best player in the world, or [any of] the top 10 best players in the world this summer. They weren’t going to come.
“I think if [Pablo] Dybala had given them really good signs — ‘I want to come play for United’ — I think they would have signed him.
“You’ve heard my opinion on Ed Woodward the last 12 months. I do think United need a real football expertise in the boardroom who can control recruitment; I do think now, to be fair, it looks like they’ve made better decisions this summer.
“Losing [Ander] Herrera, losing [Marouane] Fellaini, getting [Romelu] Lukaku out of the club — Lukaku was 105 kilograms. He admitted himself he was overweight.
“I think there are three or four players that the club would like to get rid of, I think there are three or four players that Ole [Gunnar Solksjaer] would like to get rid of. I think getting rid of them all at once, though, would weaken the club and weaken the team for this season, so I think he’s getting rid of them one at a time. He’s bleeding them out of the club.
You’re not crying over Fellaini leaving. Herrera, to be fair, huffed and puffed, but there’s loads of him around — there’s loads of Ander Herreras around. He’s nothing special.
“If you said to me put [Scott] McTominay in the midfield for 30 games this season, would he do much worse than Herrera? I don’t think he would.
“Liverpool, City, Tottenham — all of these clubs have had poor recruitment policies over the last 35 years at times. So, United are going through one at the moment.
Eventually, they’ll stumble upon the right recruitment system, they’ll get a great manager — hopefully that’s Ole — and they’ll start to win again. That’s going to happen. I can guarantee you as clear as day, Manchester United will win again.
“They’ll win again, no problem,” Neville continued. “They’ll win a league. They’ll probably win a league before Liverpool, in my opinion, and that’s not being disrespectful — they’ll probably win the league before Liverpool.
They’re closer than you think, and it’s not as bad as you think. That’s always the way it is. And Liverpool… [Mohamed] Salah’s going to leave in the next 12 months — I can see it already. Salah will leave — he will, I absolutely guarantee you. I can see it, you can feel it, you can smell it.
Neville has faced criticism from a large portion of United supporters for not expressing opposition to the Glazers, who were the subject of widespread protest on social media when United failed to land a number of high-profile signings towards the end of the summer window.
The former right-back represented the club for six more trophy-laden years following the Americans’ takeover in 2005, and while he understands fans’ dissatisfaction with their handling of club business, he also remembers a significant period of time for which on-field success overshadowed those same fans’ contempt for their club owners.
“You’re never going to change the owners through social media,” Neville said.
What the owners withstood between 2004 and 2006 during that green and gold campaign — the setting-up of FC United, the disenchantment… They could withstand anything. They’re not going to blink about something trending. They’re not going to blink.
“We’re not going to change the owners by social media, we’re not going to change the owners by saying ‘leave’ — it’s not going to happen. I think Liverpool are in a similar situation with the owners, I genuinely do. The fact of the matter is at the moment, it’s quiet because Liverpool are winning — they’ve got a great side and they’ve got a great manager.
It can change very quickly. It went quiet for the Glazers under Sir Alex Ferguson from 2006 when we started winning the league and the European Cups.
In a separate interview, meanwhile, Neville dismissed the prospect of a return to coaching after admitting he has no desire to be on the training pitch.
The ex-Manchester United right-back had an ill-fated spell at Valencia in 2015-16, where he was sacked after just four months, and spent four years as part of Roy Hodgson’s England backroom coaching staff between 2012 and 2016.
However, the 44-year-old says he is much happier focusing on his TV punditry work and business interests, which include his co-ownership of League Two side Salford City with fellow members of United’s ‘Class of 92′ including brother Phil, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.
“There is not one single part of me that wakes up and thinks ‘I want to be on the training field’,” Neville told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme.
I had my foray into management in Valencia and it was probably one of the best learning curves I have ever had. It was a clip around the ear, sometimes you need one in life.
“I’m more interested in the board room or in the business side of things. The football side I love.
I love watching matches but I just don’t want to be on the training pitch, I feel like I’ve done that part of my life and want to move on.”
Neville’s brother Phil is manager of the England women’s team, while his sister Tracey recently left her role as head coach of the England women’s netball team.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Spot on.
I share the undercooked concern. Choose close to full team, rest anyone with a niggle or still jaded from last weeks heat. Warm ups are over, time to build momentum.
Murray; first of all, I have really enjoyed the podcasts so far from France, so thank you for that.
My amateur opinion is that they should go full strength and treat the SA game like a final. Even if it’s a narrow loss, they’ll know that they’re close to the standard required to win the competition. If they win, then the belief will become huge. You have to bear in mind that Ireland have had some less good performances last Autumn and in the 6N, but they’re kept winning and so surely they have that winning mindset. This is pretty rare and the winning run is worth fighting for.
One question for you would be about training. I’d be happy if they were having a few savage full contact sessions, as these may be tougher than a match against a tier 2 nation, but the squad size is restricted so this may not be possible. Would this be another argument for going full strength against Tonga? I’d really like to see the line out attack come back and to deny Tonga from scoring a try.
Maybe the answer to this in 4 years is to line up top opposition in friendlies leading into the world cup. I get they need to get the A team up to 100% preperation firing for the SA game but at the expense of picking up injuries again the minnows before then is a risky plan…
@Stuart: You are probably right… but I think the IRFU found it difficult to line up a game against other tier 1 nations. The England game was probably lined up from 4 years ago. Maybe they left it too late to arrange the others and it wouldn’t be extraordinary to think that they were disorganised or complacent.
@Stuart: apparently other top tier nations turned down playing against Ireland in the summer internationals. Not sure if they left it too late or if other teams felt it would show their hand too much.
In all likelihood yourself and the others on media duties are aware of the team (as normal) but cannot spell it out BUT you’re trying to slowly row your way back from the, way off, potential team you posted a few days ago…. Nice try. It’ll be about 12 from first 15 and Big Joe may be on his way to being first 15 with anyone carrying minor niggle sitting it out. Murray knew a few weeks ago Big Joe would get his shot
Are we not finding excuses to talk ourselves into the very same situation that killed us in previous world cups – ie no trust in the wider squad and thereby overloading the core group? What you are saying, Murray, is that should Ireland win the WC, they would play basically the same team for 6 matches in a row (with only minor alterations from the remaining 7th game). That’s a tough message to the squad and it does not fit the McCloskey inclusion.
@John Morris: nah, I dont think so. We played a weakened team vs Japan 4 yrs ago and look what happened. Plus we play our best team in 6 nations each game for most part with slight adjustments for Italy. Look at what southern hemisphere do – play their strongest team pretty much for rugby championship and some warm ups. And they win every world cup except 1. I think Murray’s article is very well put together and I would agree full strength is required. Its not equal game time for all, go games style. These are fully grown men playing professional sport so get on with it. They;; be called upon if injury strikes. Thats the idea of a squad of grown men
Gonna be an interesting call, they can probably win with a 2nd string side but agree we should put out close to our strongest . Only player I would definitely look to leave out from the 23 is Porter and keep him fresh for SA. We can bring in the likes of Baird , Henderson, Henshaw , McCloskey and Byrne (sub) and steam roll Tonga
@Owen ODonoghue: Spot on about Porter. He is the one player we cannot afford to lose to injury. Playing against SA without him would be scary.
@Owen ODonoghue: Getting hard to see Byrne in the mix, no doubt he’ll be thereabouts for this game tho.
We’re at risk of Eddie O’Sullivan 2007 territory here by playing the same team every weekend. Given the likely hard slog against Scotland and every weekend thereafter they need to rotate this weekend