MANCHESTER UNITED legend Gary Neville admitted he was heartbroken by Erik ten Hag’s angry reaction towards Jamie Carragher’s scathing analysis.
Carragher pulled no punches while criticising United’s performance on Monday Night Football following their dismal 2-1 loss to Fulham at Old Trafford.
The Liverpool legend chastised the Red Devils’ midfield as there was a huge gap between the middle and the back which has allowed many other Premier League teams to run riot during counter-attacks this season.
Ten Hag addressed that analysis before Wednesday’s FA Cup victory over Nottingham Forest and hit back by claiming the pundit has been against his team from the start and is not always objective.
The Dutch tactician’s response, though, didn’t sit well with Neville whose “heart sank” after hearing his statement.
The ex-England international linked up with Carragher on The Overlap to discuss the recent incident and argued the ex-Ajax boss should have taken the high road.
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Neville said: “I must admit that when I saw it appear, my heart sank a little, from a Manchester United perspective, that he was getting involved in that.
“The reality is that he might be secretly or privately annoyed and think there are some points you [Carragher] made that are wrong.
“But [he has to think], ‘We have conceded a lot of chances, I’m not going to win this one, we’ve just lost a game, got a big game against Nottingham Forest, let’s not look like I’m even interested in that’. That was my thinking.”
Carragher also addressed Ten Hag’s response on his column at The Telegraph where he even stated he “loved” what he heard from the Dutchman.
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But the legendary defender wasn’t at all sarcastic as he hinted that a fightback could indeed lead to a turnaround in results as well as performances.
Carragher wrote: “My analysis on Sky’s Monday Night Football last week was intended to demonstrate why United are so inconsistent.
“Manager Erik ten Hag had a go back for what he perceived as unfair criticism.
“He felt I had been critical from day one. Actually it was from game two when his United team lost at Brentford – but it was directed at the players, not the manager.
“But fair play to him for saying what he did. I have nothing but respect and admiration for managers who defend themselves and their teams.
“If creating a siege mentality at United leads to positive results and improved performances, it is the perfect response.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
