Gary Neville slams Man United CEO Ed Woodward for not backing Jose Mourinho and spending £120m on Toby Alderweireld and Harry Maguire
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Gary Neville said the Manchester United CEO had to sign either Toby Alderweireld or Harry Maguire
GARY NEVILLE has accused Ed Woodward of undermining Jose Mourinho.
Manchester United legend Neville blasted the club’s executive vice-chairman for briefing the media before the season about why they failed to sign their defensive targets.
Nev said: “Jose won’t take messing off anybody.
“Woodward was saying why we didn’t sign these centre-backs, ‘This is why we didn’t support Jose in the transfer market.
“Justifying to the media why he didn’t back his manager. Well, it’s too late for that.
“You gave him a contract extension in January, so back him to the end. My view is he should stay to the very end of that contract and be backed until the end of it.
“Don’t get me the wrong. The club have supported Jose Mourinho and given him a lot of money. But you cannot go half-rosy.
“Don’t three-quarters build a house. You have to finish. They had to finish it if they wanted to give him that contract extension in January.”
Man Utd, who tied Mourinho to a new contract in January until 2020, failed in their attempts to sign England and Leicester hero Harry Maguire and Tottenham’s out-of-favour Toby Alderweireld.
Barcelona’s Yerry Mina was also another target but ended up going to Everton instead for £28.5m
Neville said: “With Man Utd’s back four, I don’t think they can win the league.
“Irrespective of the manager, Man Utd need new centre-backs.
“My view is Maguire and Alderweireld would have been good options. If it costs them £120m to bring them in, that is what you have to do in backing Jose Mourinho.
“If Ed Woodward was going to doubt Jose Mourinho, the time to doubt him was at the point whereby he should have said he wouldn’t have given him a new contract in January.
“The minute he gave him a contract extension -- which some say was unnecessary partway a season – and by showing him faith, he had to buy him the centre-backs.”
Woodward cut a frustrated figure in the Amex Stadium stands as Utd suffered an embarrassing 3-2 defeat at Brighton.
Neville, 43, was unhappy with his body language and expected more from a position of power.
The former United full-back blasted: “The CEO of the football club yesterday sat in his spot for two minutes after the game in what I can only describe I don’t want to see the CEO of Man Utd do.
“At the end of the game, stand up, go and shake the opposition’s CEO ‘s hand, tell him ‘well done.’ Tell him you will him later on in the new season. Smile. Be bigger than anything.
“All I could see was a show of frustration which could also be interpreted as another show of dissent.
“At the moment there is definitely an angst there between the club, between Jose, who announced last week that he might as well now become the head coach. He was generally saying he will work with the players he is told to work with.”
Club legend Paul Scholes called Man Utd midfielder Paul Pogba “inconsistent” and questioned whether he is the right man to wear the armband.
Scholes said: “There's a lack of leaders in the team, that's why we thought Paul Pogba might be the ideal candidate to be that leader but he wasn't there tonight. He had another really poor game. He's so inconsistent.”
Mourinho was yesterday installed as the bookies’ favourite to leave a Prem job first this season.
And Lee Sharpe believes the Portuguese boss will be gone before the New Year.
He said: “Mourinho is the wrong man for the job.
“The football’s not entertaining and what makes it twice as bad is that their two biggest rivals, Man City and Liverpool, do play exciting football.
“His negative style does not fit in with the expansive football that United fans want. I think he’ll be gone before Christmas.”
