Chandigarh: On Friday, there was a buzz among the football community here and in Mohali. After all, it is not everyday that Gary Neville comes visiting. Now a pundit, the former Manchester United and England star was visiting the Minerva Academy in Mohali to interact with young trainees at an event organised by Apollo Tyres and Manchester United.
The trainees didn’t mind Neville being late and gave the 49-year-old a rousing welcome. Rated as one of the game’s top right-backs ever, Neville’s career includes eight English Premier League and two Champions League titles. A rare one-club man, Neville spent almost 20 years with Manchester United making 599 appearances, 397 in the Premier League, for his boyhood club.
Neville also played two World Cup and three European championship finals. His younger brother Phil Neville played 59 times for England and played 263 times for Manchester United. As part of the group of players at United known as ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ after the club’s, and the Premier League’s, most successful manager Alex Ferguson, Neville helped disprove the notion that you win nothing with kids.
Speaking during the United We Play with Legend Gary Neville initiative, the football legend spoke on various topics.
Excerpts:
How crucial is Saturday’s match against Brentford and next week’s Europa League fixture against Fenerbahce for Erik Ten Hag?
The game against Brentford is really important. If we get a good win under our belt, everybody will feel more confident. It is important that we start the post-international break well. There is no doubt Ten Hag is under pressure. In England, there is a lot of media pressure and scrutiny. Nobody would be feeling the pressure more than the team and Ten Hag himself.
I think we had a really successful transfer window and that we could go on to have a very successful season this year. But the start has been disappointing.
What are your thoughts on the current season for Manchester United ?
This is like a cycle. Right now, Manchester City and Liverpool are doing well. This is a challenging period, so we have to be patient. The first seven games have been a real struggle, really unexpected. Hope that after the international break, there is a reset and recalibration.
What should be the way forward for Manchester United?
They still have to aim for the top four and Champions League football, maybe fifth place would get it as well. It is still very early in the season, seven games in, but it has to change now. We need some results, we need some confidence, we need some performances. The games come thick and fast with Europe as well, so I think it’s important that Manchester United have that mentality (to deal with it) and that players are fit.
Eight goals in seven matches conceded is not bad, it is the goals scored (that is the problem). They have scored five. So, the problem is going forward. Manchester United should score two, three goals a game.
What are your thoughts on the decision to appoint German Thomas Tuchel as England head coach?
I just think that the England team should have an English coach. Look, I am a great fan of people from different countries coming and working in our county but I feel we have some really talented English coaches as well who could have been looked into for the main job.
How can football in India get better ?
The skills and the talent are the same everywhere. I have seen very skillful footballers in India as well. I think the football leagues in India are doing a wonderful service to the sport. Inclusion of international players and also the coaches have bolstered the Indian football set up. I also feel good and well-equipped football academies like the Minerva Academy can work wonders for the future. In the coming decade or so, Indian football can really go high internationally if efforts are made in the right direction.
