Gary Neville Says Manchester United Don’t Deserve Trophies
Gary Neville didn’t hold back when talking about Manchester United’s Europa League campaign. Despite the club reaching the final, the former United captain believes they shouldn’t be throwing a parade if they manage to win the trophy. Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville admitted that while the players and fans will rightfully celebrate a win, the club’s overall season hasn’t been anything to shout about.
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“If Manchester United win, of course they’ll celebrate it’s a trophy after all,” Neville said. “But I expect the tone from the players in interviews to be more like, ‘We’re happy for the fans, it’s been a tough season,’ that kind of thing. Not exactly parade-worthy.” He made it clear that, in his opinion, a Europa League title doesn’t justify a full-blown celebration considering how poor the rest of the season has gone.
Currently, Manchester United sit 16th in the Premier League table just two spots above the relegation zone and they’re on track for their worst finish since 1974, the year they were relegated. It’s been a nightmare domestic campaign under Ruben Amorim, who’s only managed to guide the team to 10 wins from 37 league games. To make things worse, United have failed to win any of their last eight league fixtures.
However, their form in Europe has been a completely different story. Against the odds, they survived a wild quarter-final against Lyon, scraping through with a 7-6 aggregate score. That was followed by an impressive performance in the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao, which secured their spot in the final.
While winning the Europa League would give United a ticket to next season’s Champions League a much-needed boost the contrast between their European and domestic form is striking. Neville’s message is clear: celebrate the win, but let’s not pretend this has been a season worth parading through the streets for.
