Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher disagreed sharply during their Team of the Year selections on Sky Sports, with Neville left stunned by Carragher's unusual 3-2-4-1 formation. The pundits shared seven players—William Saliba, Virgil van Dijk, Rodri, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Martin Odegaard, and Phil Foden—but diverged on key positions.
Neville opted for a traditional back four, selecting Emi Martinez in goal and Erling Haaland up front. He praised Destiny Udogie at left-back and Ben White at right-back, noting the scarcity of quality left-backs this season. Carragher, however, chose Jordan Pickford in goal and deployed a three-man defence, allowing him to include both Van Dijk and Kevin de Bruyne.
Neville criticised Carragher's formation, saying, 'He's created a system that doesn't exist. Oh my God. You're walking in mud.' Carragher defended his picks, arguing that De Bruyne remains the Premier League's best player despite limited minutes, and that Van Dijk's importance to Liverpool has been immense this season.
The pair's banter highlighted their contrasting philosophies, with Neville favouring conventional setups and Carragher prioritising individual quality over formation norms. Their debate underscored the subjective nature of such selections.
