Gary Neville is an individual unafraid to speak his mind.
Unfortunately for the ex-Manchester United captain, this has often involved predictions about Liverpool that have been clouded by his past allegiance to his boyhood club.
Whether it has been doubting the Reds’ ability to challenge for the title or suggesting Harry Maguire could match up to Virgil van Dijk after heading to Old Trafford in an £80million deal.
Neville’s comments in pre-season regarding Liverpool’s midfield have recently resurfaced, though there have been plenty of other occasions the 48-year-old has got it wrong about Jurgen Klopp’s side. We have taken a look back at just a few of those examples, below.
‘I think Jurgen Klopp would swap’
Speaking ahead of the 2023/24 season commencing, Neville was unconvinced by the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. He boldly claimed Klopp would want to trade his options for those at the disposal of Erik ten Hag.
“When you look at the actual players, let’s take United as an example: Fernandes, Mount, Casemiro, Eriksen. I think Klopp would swap his midfield now for United’s,” said the ex-United right-back.
By contrast, it has been United’s midfield that has looked the weaker of the two and became apparent once more on Saturday afternoon as Brighton cut through this area of the pitch with ease en route to a commanding 3-1 victory at Old Trafford.
‘This game is anybody’s today’
Few could have foreseen Liverpool beating United 7-0 at Anfield this year.
United made the trip to Merseyside searching for their first win at the home of the Reds since 2015, though were brutally picked apart during a humiliating afternoon for Erik ten Hag.
There was a confidence the Red Devils would end their barren run at Anfield ahead of kick-off, at least from Neville’s perspective, with Casemiro listed as a reason why things would turn out differently on this occasion.
“Manchester United are in good form, they’ve got good momentum,” said the Sky Sports pundit. “You say they haven’t got a good record here, I think it’s five or six seasons since Manchester United won here. But who else wins here? United have got a tough bunch and I have got more faith in this group that are coming here this year than I have for many years. Get through that first half an hour and this game is anybody’s today. With Casemiro in the team, I’ve got a real faith in United. He has done something really special to that dressing room.”
Graeme Souness shared an entirely opposite view and insisted Liverpool would come out on top, prompting sniggers from Roy Keane and Neville. The Scot remarked: “I fully expect them to turn up today. It’s a long time since I’ve been as confident about a Liverpool win against United as I am today. I think they will be bang on it. Keane and Neville were laughing as they heard the ex-Reds midfielder share this prediction.
‘They’ll probably win the league before Liverpool‘
After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title in 2018/19, Liverpool bounced back from their final-day disappointment by storming to a first top-flight crown in 30 years.
Before a ball had been kicked that summer, Neville was of the opinion United were better-placed to finish in top spot and remained convinced his boyhood club would win the league before the Reds.
“I can guarantee you as clear as day, Manchester United will win again,” he said during the summer of 2019. “They’ll probably win the league before Liverpool, in my opinion. And that’s not being disrespectful, they’ll probably win the league before Liverpool.”
‘Salah is going to leave in the next 12 months’
During the same interview as his title comments, Neville also tipped Mohamed Salah to leave Liverpool before the summer of 2020.
“Salah’s going to leave in the next 12 months, I can see it already,” he boldly claimed. “He [Carragher] knows, he won’t say it. I absolutely guarantee it. I can see it, you can feel it, you can smell it.”
After Salah’s contract extension was confirmed last summer, Carragher tweeted: “Just for you @GNev2 – @MoSalah has signed!”
‘Something’s not right at Liverpool’
Sharing an early season verdict on the Reds in September 2021, Neville was convinced ‘something’s not right at Liverpool’.
The Reds had began the 2021/22 season with wins over Norwich and Burnley, which was followed up by a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield during the third game of the campaign.
Speaking after the game, Neville was not pleased with what he had seen from Klopp’s side and said: “I was at the game on Saturday, Liverpool v Chelsea, and I said after the game – sometimes you can’t put your finger on it [but] something’s not right.
“Not bad. There’s no massive spirit issue, or the manager falling out with players. Nothing like that. But there is something just missing. I remember going three years ago and thinking ‘we [United] are in trouble’. Two years ago thinking, ‘we are in serious trouble’.
“The crowd. The players. The speed of the football. The front three. Alisson and Van Dijk came. Oh dear. They are going to win the league. You can just feel it and see when something is right. It’s just not there [now], that team has gone a little bit just over the edge. They are not the team they were two years ago. They are a good team by the way – they will win a lot of games. They’ll go close. But I don’t think they are there. There is something just not quite right.”
One week later, however, and the ex-Manchester United man had changed his tune again as he began to backtrack on his comments. He said: “I think it was three or four years ago when I said I didn’t think they would be able to compete in the Champions League and the league and they proved me wrong.
“Because of the way they play, Liverpool, the fact that they haven’t got a massively strong squad in terms of loads of depth, and the difference between the first eleven and below that is quite big, I thought they would struggle.
“They’ve proven over the years that they can handle it. I don’t see an issue for them. I think this [Leeds] game suits them today, it’s a really good game to play.”
‘Go out against Bayern Munich’
One of Neville’s most bizarre claims was to suggest Liverpool should have aimed to be knocked out of the Champions League in 2018/19 to focus on the Premier League title run-in.
The Reds of course went on to claim the European Cup in Madrid and missed out on the league title despite winning their final nine fixtures. Fortunately for the Reds, Klopp took no notice of this advice.
Neville remarked: “I’m going to say it: go out against Bayern Munich. That sounds like madness. Of course, you’d never play to lose a game, but it will be in Liverpool’s favour if they have a clean run as they can get everyone fresh.”
When asked for his opinion on these comments, Klopp responded: “I don’t think any other manager in the world other than the Liverpool manager would be asked this question when they are playing a Champions League game. The pundits come from Manchester United and start this thing!
“That is how it is. You also ask us in the FA Cup or Carabao Cup if it is better that we don’t win. We won’t see it like this. In the cups, we wanted to go through and we didn’t, but we want to win this game. The whole world is watching tomorrow night, but we want to be focused on this game. Even if it harms us [by winning], we could not change it.
“I just wish the guys who write these questions find a way in real life to make it possible and not just in the studio. It would help.”
‘He will bring stability‘
Harry Maguire arrived at Manchester United during the summer of 2019 to great fanfare.
Billed by some as the next Virgil van Dijk after his £80m move from Leicester City, it’s safe to say things haven’t quite worked out for the England international.
At the time of this move being announced, Neville refused to ruled out the idea of Maguire having the same transformative effect as Van Dijk.
“Maguire looks secure and he looks strong. Every time the ball came near him in the air he won it and he never looked any different to how he was for England or Leicester,” the former defender said on the Gary Neville podcast.
“I think that was the main thing; coming here with a huge price tag in a big game as a Manchester United player for the first time it didn’t look like anything had changed.
“He has a really good temperament. The hope is that he doesn’t just do his job, but he is a catalyst for strengthening the whole team. The great centre-backs I played with didn’t just help themselves during the game, they also had a big impact on others. We have spoken about Virgil van Dijk doing that at Liverpool.
“It’s too early to say Maguire will make the same difference as Van Dijk, but there’s a chance. Manchester City wanted Maguire and Manchester United won him and they so needed him. A character, a personality, a leader, a dominant force, he will bring stability to the club for the next five or six years.”