Gary Neville has often criticised goalkeepers in his role as a Sky Sports’ pundit.
The former Manchester United defender is employed to analyse games, and players’ mistakes are bound to be scrutinised, otherwise Neville wouldn’t be fulfilling his duties.
However, goalkeepers appear to feel the wrath of Neville more than players in any other position, possibly because he played alongside some great ‘keepers, such as Edwin van der Sar and Peter Schmeichel.
Neville meticulously took apart an error by David de Gea back in January 2013. The United goalkeeper gifted Spurs an equaliser, and on Monday Night Football the following evening, Neville offered insight into how the United dressing would have reacted to the mistake.
“The idea that they’re saying ‘unlucky mate, let’s go and have a drink,’ well, that is not that place,” Neville said.
“Anybody is misguided if they believe that is what happens. There is an incredible amount of accountability in that dressing room. It is not a place that is forgiving, it is not a place where you won’t get people who will confront each other when mistakes are made.”
The Sky Sports pundit was also critical of Simon Mignolet for failing to stop a 30-yard piledriver from Phil Jagielka during a Merseyside derby in 2013, and this season he has taken issue with Manchester City’s Claudio Bravo and Everton ‘keeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
He was also heavily critical of Liverpool’s Loris Karius.
The German fumbled the ball in the final minute of Liverpool’s 4-3 loss to Bournemouth, gifting the home side victory, and received no sympathy from Neville.
The former United defender said Karius ‘transmits anxiety’ to the Liverpool defence.
“It’s tough to win the league without a good goalkeeper, it is tough,” Neville said.
“He’s not good enough that goalkeeper. You could see actually in his first game, was it against [Manchester] United on a Monday night? He looks nervous and he isn’t good enough.”
Neville’s Sky Sports colleague Jamie Carragher also pinned the blame for Liverpool’s defensive troubles on the 23-year-old ‘keeper.
Defends the defence, heaps blame on Karius https://t.co/nrAgdAEfMa
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 6, 2016
Karius has responded to the criticism by the Sky pair.
The Liverpool ‘keeper says he accepts Carragher’s criticism, which was arguably more damning than Neville’s, but dismissed Neville’s opinion. He also took a bit of a dig at Neville’s failed stint as Valencia manager last season.
“Carragher was here at Liverpool for a long time so maybe after the game he was a bit frustrated,” Karius told The Daily Mail.
“He is probably still a supporter. I have to accept it. What critics say right after the game, I don’t know what I think. If you asked them again would they say it now?
“And I don’t care what Gary Neville said. He was a manager for a short bit and now he is back to being an expert again.
“But he is always very critical. I think he does it to everyone. I just hope that when I do well he will comment on that. We will see in the future.”
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