The club is “rotten to the core.” Pure passion here.
Following a start to the Premier League that has seen them drop points against Brighton, Wolves and West Ham, the pressure is firmly on Jose Mourinho ahead of their upcoming match against Newcastle United.
In fact, some outlets have reported that the Portuguese coach will be sacked from the Old Trafford hotseat, regardless of the result over Rafa Benitez’ side.
As usual, Neville was working for Sky Sports during Brighton’s 1-0 win over West Ham and after the game, Kelly Cates asked the former Manchester United defender if sacking Mourinho would be the right decision from the United board.
What unfolds is Neville launching into a five-minute tirade against player-power at the club, executives playing ‘Football Manager’ with the biggest team in the world and his belief that certain people that are running Manchester United are ‘rotten to the core.’
He starts by saying: “I’m furious from three or four years ago when David Moyes was sacked and it was broken a day before to journalists. I think of Louis van Gaal being sacked the evening of an F.A Cup final and finding out from other people. I think about how the club is being operated. If this is true, and Jose Mourinho is going to walk out at Old Trafford tomorrow as almost like a dead man walking, those fans will absolutely turn towards that boardroom. It’s unacceptable. I have to say that Jose Mourinho will get the biggest support he’s ever had in his life in that ground and I’ll be there to give it to him.”
“Because,” Neville added, “if this is true and it’s broken the day before it’s going to happen and he’s going to be sacked after the game or at the weekend it’s an absolute disgrace. Where are the values and the principles of Manchester United if this is true?”
Neville reiterated his belief that sacking Mourinho – if it does happen – would be a foolish decision by Manchester United and he then directed his anger towards the people that hired these managers, (Moyes, Van Gaal and Mourinho) their involvement with player recruitment and the leaks from Manchester United regarding why some players (Harry Maguire, Jerome Boateng, Toby Alderweireld) were not signed over the summer.
“At the end of the day this is going on for five or six years and I have to say Jose Mourinho is one of the best managers in the world any manager would struggle in that football club in the way in which the recruitment is handled, how it operates. Enough is enough for me. I love that football club. I absolutely love it to death, it’s been my life. It’s given me everything. I’m not turning on my football club but I have to say, something has to change; and it isn’t the manager. It’s above that.”
He adds: “I’m furious at thinking this has broken out. Journalists don’t break stories of this nature unless they’re absolutely certain. I hope it’s not true but if it is true it’s an absolute disgrace I will say, there is something rotten to the core about the way the club is operating and it has to be coming from the top. The people in the boardroom who are overseeing the football operations are nowhere near good enough; they’re not qualified. They’re playing Football Manager with the biggest club in the world. Stop it!”
Take a look at the whole interview here.
WATCH: NEVILLE'S FURY @GNev2 gives a furious reaction to reports that Jose Mourinho will be sacked this weekend: https://t.co/xRSQBtbj4u pic.twitter.com/KXcv6p6JoJ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 5, 2018
