Sometimes, living in England and having to deal with the utter tripe that is reported on a daily basis by those 'in the know' in the British press is one of the most depressing aspects of this otherwise fantastic job. Today however it's Gary Neville's turn to be portrayed by the press as the token Manchester United star, jumping up and down with glee on the sidelines and flicking 'V' signs at Liverpool following their Champions League exit during the week.
We are told by the learned press "Neville didn't hesitate to twist the knife into Manchester United's bitterest rivals when asked about Liverpool's group exit."
What Neville actually said was;
"Well, you get what you deserve as a team, don't you?
"We are where we are because we deserve to be there. And it is the same with Liverpool.
"We went out of the competition after the group stage a few years back (2005).
"They (Liverpool) haven't performed well enough in the Champions League this season to get the results. Simple as that."
Now, it may come as a surprise to you to learn that I am a Liverpool fan. So am I spitting fury and bile at Neville for this taunting of Liverpool? It wouldn't be the first time Neville has goaded Liverpool fans of course. He has a long history of engaging in questionable behaviour with Liverpool and their fans, so like most Liverpool fans I am going to be furious at this outburst! Right?
Well no actually. Gary Neville has actually got this spot on. If any Liverpool fan does take offence at what Neville has said then he is doing so because of who said it and the club he plays for. The comments Neville made, if you read them in context, are actually quite right. You DO get what you deserve as a team, United do deserve to be top of their group and Liverpool did not do enough to go through. United did go out in 2005 and Liverpool have not performed anywhere near well enough in the Champions League. It is indeed, as Gary Neville states, that simple.
That this is then presented by the press as further evidence of Neville 'twisting the knife' is just utter trash journalism and sensationalism of the worst kind. Liverpool fans are well aware of what the player has done in the past to antagonise them, but these statements, while they may hurt Liverpool fans, do so because they are the truth, regardless of whether you support Liverpool or United.
The story here is not that Neville is taunting Liverpool fans again, but that the press asked a leading question and chose to report Neville's factual, and entirely correct answer, as another attack on Manchester United's bitterest rivals. It is more a statement on tired journalism and the pathetic attempts to foster interest in a badly written and poorly presented article by misrepresenting what Gary Neville actually said to stoke up a controversy where there isn't one.
We are told by the learned press "Neville didn't hesitate to twist the knife into Manchester United's bitterest rivals when asked about Liverpool's group exit."
What Neville actually said was;
"Well, you get what you deserve as a team, don't you?
"We are where we are because we deserve to be there. And it is the same with Liverpool.
"We went out of the competition after the group stage a few years back (2005).
"They (Liverpool) haven't performed well enough in the Champions League this season to get the results. Simple as that."
Now, it may come as a surprise to you to learn that I am a Liverpool fan. So am I spitting fury and bile at Neville for this taunting of Liverpool? It wouldn't be the first time Neville has goaded Liverpool fans of course. He has a long history of engaging in questionable behaviour with Liverpool and their fans, so like most Liverpool fans I am going to be furious at this outburst! Right?
Well no actually. Gary Neville has actually got this spot on. If any Liverpool fan does take offence at what Neville has said then he is doing so because of who said it and the club he plays for. The comments Neville made, if you read them in context, are actually quite right. You DO get what you deserve as a team, United do deserve to be top of their group and Liverpool did not do enough to go through. United did go out in 2005 and Liverpool have not performed anywhere near well enough in the Champions League. It is indeed, as Gary Neville states, that simple.
That this is then presented by the press as further evidence of Neville 'twisting the knife' is just utter trash journalism and sensationalism of the worst kind. Liverpool fans are well aware of what the player has done in the past to antagonise them, but these statements, while they may hurt Liverpool fans, do so because they are the truth, regardless of whether you support Liverpool or United.
The story here is not that Neville is taunting Liverpool fans again, but that the press asked a leading question and chose to report Neville's factual, and entirely correct answer, as another attack on Manchester United's bitterest rivals. It is more a statement on tired journalism and the pathetic attempts to foster interest in a badly written and poorly presented article by misrepresenting what Gary Neville actually said to stoke up a controversy where there isn't one.
SHARE
