Former Manchester United player Gary Neville has criticized Arsenal trio Laurent Koscielny, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil following their performances during Gunners’ 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.
The pundit told Sky Sports News after the game that the trio are not putting in their best for the club.
“I might be being a bit harsh here, but I’m going to say them anyway. Koscielny always goes off. He’s a centre-back. He plays to half-time and then goes off. He might have a bit of a problem with his Achilles and I might be being very harsh, but he went off against Bayern Munich and went off in a big game today.”
“Walcott trudges off the pitch. He hasn’t played well, but his attitude is, ‘I’ve scored a goal, you shouldn’t take me off.’ Yes you should, you were poor and that’s a matter of fact. Mesut Ozil goes through on goal and bottles out of a challenge when his manager’s backside is on the line. Go for a 50-50 or nick in front and win a penalty.
On Ozil, he added that, “I can’t be watching him playing football sometimes, someone who has so much talent. when you watch Messi and Ronaldo give their all in every match, Ozil struts around like a worker in a coal mine.”
There’s three instances today and I’m being harsh, but if you’re talking about throwing the cat among the pigeons, let’s do it. Let’s throw it out there. Arsene Wenger deserved for Koscielny to at least have a go for five minutes in the second half. Go on mate, have a go for us. No, he didn’t.”
“Theo Walcott should sprint off the pitch and shake the manager’s hand and say, ‘Thanks very much for giving me a game today. I’m lucky.’ Mesut Ozil should go for a 50-50 with the goalkeeper. That would help, wouldn’t it?”
Valencia sack Gary Neville
Gary Neville’s reign as Valencia coach has come to an end. The decision is coming few days after protesters burnt an effigy of him.
“Valencia have today terminated the contractual relationship with first-team coach Gary Neville. After carefully analysing the situation, the club have decided to make this change in the best interests of Valencia when looking toward the rest of the season. The club thank Gary Neville for his work and wish him the best of luck for the future.” The club announced.
The TV pundit who won just three games less than four months in charge admitted that he failed to reach the expected standard at the Spanish outfit.
“I want to thank Valencia, the fans, the coaching staff and players. I would have liked to continue the work I started, but I understand that we are in a business based on results and in 28 games we have seen 10 wins, seven draws and 11 defeats, which is not the level demanded by me or by this club.”
I'm glad to see Gary Neville struggle at Valencia – Crespo
The thing they say about talk being cheap though. Former Chelsea striker, Hernan Crespo has admitted he is glad to see Valencia manager, Gary Neville struggle in his current role. The TV pundit’s long wait for a win in Spain continues since taking the reins last December. The ex Manchester United player has drawn 5 and lost 4 in his 9 games in charge.
You can’t really blame Crespo though, most TV pundits’ analysis are usually laced with harsh criticisms, it’s only fair they are served with a portion of what they dish out.
The former Inter Milan player told FOX Sports. “To watch a game from the TV, it’s much different than from the bench. I’m almost happy for Gary Neville’s troubles at Valencia. I remember he was too harsh as a TV pundit!”
I'm enduring the worst time in football.- Gary Neville
Valencia’s intense struggle for a win under manager Gary Neville may be far from over following their latest 7-0 mauling by Barcelona last night in a La Liga match at the Nou Camp. The ex Sky TV pundit who has been struggling to find explanation for his side’s dismal form admitted after the match that he is enduring his worst time in football. The former Manchester United player who was appointed last December has not recorded a win in Valencia’s 8 spanish league games and this has been giving him all shades of discomfort. Fans are loosing their cool and demanding apologies, the club is dangling around relegation zone, yet the former England fullback has vowed not to walk away from the dugout.
He told reporters, “I am not going to sleep well tonight. This is one of the worst experiences I’ve ever gone through in football. This was one of my most painful nights in football,”
“The scoreline is unacceptable. I have not enjoyed tonight. I won’t sleep well tonight. I didn’t like what I saw. The fans didn’t deserve that tonight. The people I feel most sorry for are the Valencia supporters. We have to recover incredibly quickly.”
“We were playing against three of the best players in the world and we gave them three-on-twos I don’t know how many times. It was unacceptable and we have to recover very quickly. We need to win a league game. I wish the match against Betis could start in 10 minutes.
“Positivity has been immovable in my life. I last had doubts as a player 18 years ago and from that moment on I developed coping mechanisms to deal with situations like this. I’m fine. Be clear, we have to deliver on Sunday.”
Well in football, anything can happen. The tables might turn in the next game. keep holding on Gary.
Gary Neville named Valencia coach
Former Manchester United player and Sky Sports pundit, Gary Neville has been named coach of Spanish side, Valencia. He will be unveiled at a press conference on Thursday and would resume duties on Sunday.
Speaking about his new role, the Old Trafford icon said, “I am excited and I am proud to have received this huge opportunity with Valencia Football Club. It is a huge club, of immense prestige and I remember well from my time as a player, the passion and loyalty of their fans. I’m looking forward to working with them, I know it’s a group of very talented players. I am very excited about the challenge that lies ahead together.”
Valencia president, Chan Lay Hoon also added, “We are delighted to have signed Gary as quickly. He is a person who combines technical expertise as part of the coaching staff of the England team and a brilliant playing career at Manchester United and his team.”
“Throughout his career, Gary has always shown a high level of leadership on and off the field. He is greatly respected in the English football and have been these qualities that have convinced us that it is the right choice to lead the team until the end of season.”
If Man United can sign a match-winner, they can be as good as Barcelona – Gary Neville
Ex Manchester United player, Gary Neville has implored the club’s current manager, Louis Van Gaal to take advantage of the January transfer window and strengthen the squad. The Old Trafford legend opined that The Red Devils are a couple of players away from winning the EPL title. He added that the club needs top-notch players like Barcelona’s Luis Suarez and Neymar or Real Madrid superstars, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. Speaking after Manchester United’s clash with Leicester City, Neville said
“If you put two more players into Manchester United, that team could win the league. If you put two more players into Manchester United’s team, say a Gareth Bale or a Cristiano Ronaldo into that team, that team could win the league. Because the structure that is being built at this moment in time is solid.
“But they need that match-winner, that Neymar, that Luis Suarez, the one that is going to light up a game and score one or two goals to take it away, then all of a sudden they would look like a Barcelona, because they’re dominating possession, making teams look foolish.
“Even in the last 15 minutes, they didn’t fully commit to winning the game.
“Historically, you would like to see punch after punch, you would want to see bodies being thrown forward, but you might get caught on the counter attack and lose 2-1 that way.
“But that’s not the way in which this Manchester United team play, and the heart wants them to go forward, commit players and be reckless in some ways.
“I do think they are quite close when I think about it with my head, but my heart thinks I’d like to see them die trying a little bit more and go for it.
“But he’s a year-and-a-half in, Louis van Gaal, and he should get a lot more time to do what he wants to do.
“I was in the same opinion when David Moyes was at Manchester United, and I’m in the same opinion now.”