Great comment. People watch Sky Sports and are seemingly expecting cutting edge, revelatory insights with every breath. Getting flustered because Gary Neville said "I don't understand how this turnaround has happened" is a hilariously reactionary and exaggerated response - which is ironic given that's exactly what these same people accuse Sky Sports punditry of being. If you look at the entirety of what Neville said (dropping Ronaldo and Maguire, agreeing with Keane on getting them to do penance after Brentford and grind out some running etc), it's completely normal stuff.
Gary Neville - Pundit
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Isn’t it clear though? the two CBs, brand new LB, getting the best out of Dalot.
Adding a ball playing midfielder, having the front 3 work and have actual attacking patterns. Getting the absolute best out of Scott that doesn’t just have him sitting beside Fred.
Actual running. Not trying to use DDG as Xavi then wonder why we can’t build it up from the back. That’s just broad outlines, Gary knows a lot more than me.
it’s my suspicion that he’s close to dropped stars and doesn’t want to point out that dropping them has led to a better team. He just doesn’t give that a thought. His narrative was it was the players that downed tools on Ole and lack of coaching later. Now it’s not looking good for Ole.
Go look at his interview with Ten Hag before the Liverpool game. He isn’t giving Ten Hag an inch. He’s pushing for Ten Hag to say the owners are shit and haven’t back him properly in the market. He’s pushing to say this group of players are too weak to succeed.
I may be wrong but I remember him absolutely going in on Martinez during the first two games talking about how he simply can’t be successful in England. Unless I missed it he hasn’t addressed him at all since then? Small stuff like that add up. Now he’s standing there shrugging his shoulders as if is a miracle from the Gods. My problem with Gary is it feels like he’s biding his time to jump back in that narrative again. He always seems to be a better pundit when going after what’s been going wrong than being able to point out what’s being done right.
Edit Sancho etc have come out and literally said what the difference has been, it’s the coaching and they’re now being coached as to what to do. Gary can’t bring that up because he’s mates with Ole so it’s shoulder shrugging time
G Nev was hilarious on Lukaku last season.
He scored a tap in early on and G Nev wheeled out the pre written agenda about how he'd definitely succeed, what a great signing etc.
For months of woeful form, issues and not getting into the lineup, there was barely a word, before eventually some light line about how it "hadn't worked out as expected".
The difference between his criticism of United under Ole and under Rangnick said it all really. Don’t really have an issue with him, he’s human, and obviously will have biases, the problem is so many dumbfecks watch him and take his opinions as gospel.
Good post. I wouldn't personally say he's looking to jump back into a narrative but I would agree that he seems a bit myopic with certain things.
Here's the full video. I've only seen the first 7 mins and he does come off better as a whole but he does seem 'flabbergasted' by this change. I enjoy listening to him at times and some of his punditry so I have no issue with him in general but he does seem to be a 'surface level' except on some topics, where he empathises and seems to fully understand some points of view as if he was involved directly with it. It seems to happen around discussion when it involve things like coaching, which to be fair to him he can only comment on as an outsider but when you hear the things he says about his time as an England coach, his constant defence for managers/players etc, his analysis comes across as flawed as a viewer.
That aside, I'm not taking issue with his original throwaway comment, which on its own is not a problem but overall he does have a tendency to not believe in other explanations because he's so invested in one that is 100% in his head (Martinez not making it etc being a great recent example).
To be fair apart from one or two throwaway comments in this thread, there isn't an uproar or 'going in on Neville'. Some of us are just pointing it out objectively.
He's a red through and through and I get that massively.
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Also a change of personnel and gameplan? There's quite a few obvious differences as to how we approach games now.
Gary thought this team could challenge for the title last season but won't make top four this season, he's far too knee jerk and emotional particularly when it comes to United.
Can't stand that Carl Anka. He loves the sound of his own voice. Just making up his own definition of pragmatism there.
So basically like most other Utd fans then?
People get on his case when he doesn't act like a fan (being overly critical of United as a co-commentator) - but then they get on his case when he's acting like a fan too.
As someone said above, he can't win no matter what he does or says.
But this is - obviously - something he's well aware of. In fact, it's an ideal position to be in if you're in the business of generating interest/responses/clicks.
If you really, genuinely dislike Gary Neville, you should do what his most vocal critics on here obviously do not: ignore him.
His public persona thrives on attention, whether positive or negative (in terms of clicks, it matters feck all whether people like you or hate you).
There was really nothing wrong with his definition imo.
Not the biggest fan of Carl Anka but he did raise a good point about marginal gains in defence cumulatively outweighing the height issue for Martinez
How he suggested pragmatism can also be throwing a load of attackers on? Pragmatism is being sensible and realistic. Arteta subs weren't very sensible.
Not really. It's only clear if you're on the training ground with the players. As said, pundits on Sky, BT et al. are there to give buzzwords, quick reactions and create discussion and drama. He is doing his job.
Neh it was nice to see someone actually try to provide insight instead of boring platitudes.
Exactly. I don’t know if it’s fake outrage looking for an excuse to slag him off, but the reaction to those comments are so typically weird on here.
Gary Neville and Carragher are constantly giving deeper takes on Sky with their punditry. Even then he’s on every other media platform that he can give an informed take on. He’s quick enough to go off on them, he can do deeper takes then. Didn’t seem to be much holding him back in those instances.
Let’s just say what you say is true. Saying I don’t know and shrugging your shoulders isn’t a buzzword. It’s literally saying nothing. They’re not paid to pretend not to know what’s going on so that’s not even a superficial look at United.
Then you have to remember he’s been commentating on the games! So what he’s saying is that he doesn’t know what’s he’s looking at, he doesn’t understand how United are now playing.
It doesn’t make any sense no matter how it’s spun
I think you're looking far too deep into something which isn't deep.
I don't think anyone watches Sky, BT, MOTD etc. expecting the best or 'deepest' analytics. There are plenty of other outlets of which this is their remit. It isn't the remit of Sky. As I said, there are other topics which Neville knows a lot about and offers his opionion to a greater extent when he can, there are others when he doesnt and offers something else to generate discussion.
It's not that deep.
Sky need to break out the fecking lighting rig.
I’m not Looking for deep analysis, I’m looking for a shred of it.
Remember I’m not saying he isn’t going deep enough (phrasing) I’m saying he’s doing a disservice to the team when he literally does 0 of it.
In the end it’s his relationship with Maguire that’s the problem imo. From telling fans he was irreplaceable and the future of the club last season to telling fans to stop bullying him last summer to telling us how great he’d be under Sir Alex, his over the top criticism of Martinez gave it all away. He can’t say we’re a different beast with Martinez at the back than Harry so has to pretend dropping him hasnt been a huge factor in the change around.
I wouldn’t mind but during our low points he literally spends 90 minutes pointing out everything that’s wrong with Utd. It dominates his commentary. It’s not superficial then, no buzzwords needed when he has free reign to criticise.
It's one topic. They cover a myriad of topics. There are plenty of other pundits to explain or offer their thoughts on the subject. You're taking it too seriously.
Such nothingy comments, expressions that everyone says all the time, getting dissected and people going over them with a fine tooth comb 
bloody weird.
bloody weird.It won't be long before he is on Dancing With the Stars or some other garbage show.
You have so many pundits on tv like Jenas who clearly don't like us, yet a bloke who very clearly cares more about this club than many on here, can't escape a slagging off no matter what he says.
He is giving his honest opinions.
He's even now doing what we all have been asking him to for years and is going in on the ownership. He can't win.
You've said this a few times now.
Are you going to say the same to posters who take issue when Neville overcompensates on being a 'neutral' when commentating on Utd? 'He's deliberately creating topics for viewers, don't bother debating this too deeply. He's clearly a professional with no vested interest and is just saying stuff that come out of his mouth?'.
It's a pretty bizarre take and defence of Neville.
Conversely, some of the comments here regarding his 'I don't know what's happened' are not that deep either; over his whole catalogue of punditry covering Utd, he has a blind eye when it comes to certain topics like coaching. He consistently has odd or surface level reactionary views that he believes 100% when it fits his narrative and speaks so passionately about (defends the manager to the hilt, blames players on downing tools etc) but comes out all mystified when it doesn't.
Watch the longer fan debate video. He is genuinely baffled as to why this team filled with hundreds and hundreds of millions of talent can have a 4 game winning streak. As if the Brighton and Brentford losses cemented our status to relegation fodder.
Yes, people are taking a sentence far too seriously.
I'm not trying to troll here but personally I think you are taking it too seriously yourself.
Neville has made a comment. Some people made a comment on it (whilst acknowledging it's a single sentence), a discussion was being held, then some people like @cyberman and myself were just adding more context to it.
It's poor form to just condescend the talking points are 'you're taking it too seriously' on a discussion forum. Really really bizarre.
cool. Plenty of people here think that you two are overreacting. I include myself in that.
You're taking this too seriously. Stop overreacting by telling people that.
Awwww.I do enjoy how Garry keeps the spotlight on the Glazers a lot, of late. Long may that continue.
He is never happy, is he? Now he is bashing us that Antony and Casemiro are just panic buys.
Even if they are, so what? Are you happy with their quality? If you are, then shut the feck up.
Even if they are, so what? Are you happy with their quality? If you are, then shut the feck up.
I mean it's his job to talk about it.
They were obviously panic buys as well. We could've signed Antony earlier in the window for cheaper and then massively overpaid for him at the end. We chased FDJ all summer and then randomly bought Casemiro after we got twatted by Brentford.
I’m not too bothered by pundits, as I prefer to watch football without being told by these people what I just watched. Neville does seem to protective of his mates though. His refusal to call out Ole as unable to do the job, as each burning timber fell on top of the other, was ludicrous.
Tbf, it's possible Casemiro was a second choice midfielder and we went for him after it was clear FDJ wasn't leaving Barca.
we tried to buy Rabiot a few weeks before.. was obviously a panic buy after a shocking start
Of course hes right, it doesn't sit well with people because for some inexplicable reason he didn't really want to do too much straight talking when his mate was in charge.