There was something nauseating about listening to Gary Neville eviserating Gabrielle Martinelli shunting Jeremy Frimpong out over the sideline towards the end of the Arsenal-Liverpool game.
Now, I would consider myself as big a Roy Keane fan as there is, but, Gary is in no position to have a barb at anybody over skating the thin line. One need only put the words Alf Inge Haaland next to Roy’s name and it doesn’t leave much wriggle room for anybody of a Manchester United hue. Even though Roy has been quoted as saying the moaning father of the moaning son made a meal out of it and actually played for Norway days after the great Corkman was alleged to have semi decapitated him.
Mind you, lest one be accused of having tricolour lenses in relation our nation’s greatest ever soccer player, King Eric wasn’t exactly known for his restraint either. Though I do often wonder what became of the muppet he put back in his box in Selhurst Park.
Let’s be honest, if Gary was in the same position Martinelli he’d have done the same thing. Or at least you’d hope he would. Nice guys get nowhere, as I know to my own cost. You need to operate close to the edge, or occasionally over it.
But then, Gary is the most negative, easily despisable being to appear on television since Maggie Thatcher. What’s most astounding about the former full back, though, is that, as somebody whose career highlights were back passes to Peter Schmeichel and whose attempts at management make Boris Johnson look positively regal, he’s hardly equipped to be taking swipes at anybody.
Yet, in his punditry, there’s as much negativity as would be in a bin of used Covid-19 tests.
Most bizzarely, though, the vast majority of Gary’s ire tends to be directed at his former employers. Either the board or the owners or the players or every manager who has come and gone since Fergie.
In such a situation, temptation would be to advise Gary to put his money where his mouth is. Oh wait…