Gary Neville has asked Sky Sports bosses to take him off Manchester City games, saying he finds it difficult to praise the team while the club's 114 financial charges case is ongoing.
The request came after Manchester City's 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield — their first Premier League match since an independent panel found them in breach of regulations. Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki scored, with the match shifting after a red card for Ryan Gravenberch.
Neville's plea to Sky Sports
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: "This is the first Manchester City game that I have done today since the charges or guilty verdicts were handed out a few weeks ago."
"We were just doing the podcast then and said if you could take me off Manchester City games moving forward for the next few months until the verdicts have been heard, I would be absolutely delighted."
He added: "To come and win at Anfield is really difficult, we should be eulogising over them without a but or any hesitation, but there is that thing in the back of your mind."
Praise for City's performance
Neville was particularly impressed by Elliot Anderson, who he named player of the match. He said: "They have done a brilliant job here today. They have dominated the game in the last 20 minutes, from the red card onwards. They have dug in and I think players like [Gianluigi] Donnarumma, [Ruben] Dias and Anderson, in that first-half were excellent. They stood strong as a group."
However, he admitted the ongoing case clouds his assessment: "At the end of the game it is quite hard because you are imagining basically if these guilty verdicts are confirmed in January or February then Manchester City are not going to be in the position they are in and there is going to be a huge cloud hanging over the whole league, which is not good for the Premier League right now and that is what I have just recognised today. Really bad for the Premier League and it is going to continue for a few months."
Appeal and sanctions process
The appeal process has already started, but a final outcome could take time. The sanctions hearing is also underway, and a potential punishment could be announced first.
Both Neville and Jamie Carragher made clear the players do not deserve the hostile reception. Neville said: "That's the problem for the Man City staff, players and supporters, they are blameless in all of this. The stain, stigma, reputational damage that hits them, it's nothing to do with them but they have to face it on the pitch, in the stadium, week after week."
Carragher added: "The players on that pitch they've had to face the criticism. All eyes on this game, you almost look at the director's box thinking they should be on the pitch facing the barrage of criticism."
