Manchester United legend Gary Neville has sharply criticised current manager Ruben Amorim after the Portuguese coach claimed that football pundits are affecting his players’ performances.
Amorim, who recently led his team to a 2-0 victory against Sunderland, said before the game that his players tend to listen too much to what pundits say, and that this affects their confidence and play on the pitch.
“There is no one in the world who can read everything and listen to everything about people who understand football and not be influenced by that,” Amorim said, explaining his biggest challenge was protecting his players from outside criticism.
However, Neville strongly disagreed with this view, calling it an “excuse mentality” that should not be tolerated at a club like Manchester United.
“If pundits are getting in your head, you shouldn’t be playing for the club, simple as that.”
Neville reminded fans and players of the tough criticisms he and his teammates faced during their careers, especially from former greats like Alan Hansen, who famously doubted their ability as young players.
“Do people not remember Alan Hansen criticising us as young kids, saying ‘you can’t win anything with kids?’ That was the greatest centre back of all time talking about us as if we were inferior,” Neville said.
He added that handling criticism is part of playing for a big club like Manchester United, and players must develop thick skin and focus on delivering results instead of blaming outside voices.
“I’m sorry, you’re playing for Manchester United. It comes with the territory. You’ve got to step up,” he stressed.
Neville also criticised the lack of accountability he perceives in the current team culture, saying in his playing days, players would admit their mistakes after losses rather than blaming others.
“When you lost football matches, you came in and said, ‘sorry about that today lads, I was a mess for that goal’. There was accountability,” he recalled.
He described Amorim’s comments as an attempt to shift blame away from the players and the team’s poor performances.
“Excuse mentality, shortcuts, blaming other people, it’s the worst thing you can do in life,” Neville said.
The former defender urged the team to stop worrying about critics and pundits and instead concentrate on their performances on the field.
“They need to concentrate on doing their job well and winning football matches. That’s the only thing that’s going to shut people up,” he said, noting that Manchester United has not won enough games to silence critics.
This clash of views comes amid increasing pressure on Manchester United to improve results and return to the top of English football after several disappointing seasons.
Amorim’s claim that pundits negatively influence his players has sparked debate on how much external criticism affects professional athletes and whether coaches should use such comments as excuses.
Neville’s response clearly sets the tone that at Manchester United, resilience, accountability, and winning matches are the priorities not blaming pundits or seeking excuses.
