Gary Neville has expressed regret over some of his past remarks, admitting that he wishes he hadn’t called Chelsea a “billion-pound bottle job” and apologizing for his harsh words aimed at two former Premier League players.
Chelsea’s Struggles and Neville’s Criticism
Chelsea’s painful loss in last season’s Carabao Cup final, a match against Liverpool at Wembley, was a moment that fueled Neville’s critical comments.
Despite having several chances to score, Chelsea failed to capitalize, and in the dying minutes of extra time, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk’s goal sealed the win.
This heart-breaking defeat led Neville to launch severe criticism of Chelsea and their underperforming squad at the time.
However, Chelsea’s fortunes have taken a turn this season, with the club now only two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
The club’s massive spending under American owner Todd Boehly seems to be paying off, and Enzo Maresca has stepped in as the ideal replacement for Mauricio Pochettino, who was dismissed after just one season in charge.
This transformation in Chelsea’s form has caused Neville to reconsider his previous criticisms.
A Change of Heart
In a recent appearance on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville reflected on his past remarks, admitting he regretted calling Chelsea “billion-pound bottle jobs.”
He acknowledged that such harsh words can tarnish the reputations of both players and managers.
“David Luiz has never shaken off that tag,” he said, emphasizing that the comment was more of a cheap shot than a fair critique.
Neville had previously doubled down on his criticism, especially after hearing that Pochettino had appeared to play for penalties during the Carabao Cup final.
“I thought that was the epitome of freezing,” he recalled.
However, with Chelsea’s recent revival, Neville now sees his past comments in a different light.
Moving Away from Personal Attacks
Neville also addressed his tendency to personalize criticism, particularly with regard to former players like David Luiz and Loris Karius.
He had famously criticized Luiz for his performance, comparing him to a player “controlled by a 10-year-old on a PlayStation.”
Looking back, Neville admitted that this comment crossed a line.
“It was a cheap shot, really,” he said, acknowledging that such remarks can linger and harm a player’s legacy.
Similarly, Neville had harsh words for Karius, the former Liverpool goalkeeper, especially after his high-profile mistakes in the 2018 Champions League final.
Neville had doubted Karius’s ability to lead the team to silverware, a sentiment that was proven true when Karius’s errors contributed to Liverpool’s defeat.
Despite his earlier criticisms, Neville reflected on how Karius might have felt about them.
An Awkward Encounter with Karius
Neville recounted a particularly uncomfortable moment when he ran into Karius while traveling in Italy.
“It was a strong line for a young goalkeeper,” Neville acknowledged, but meeting Karius face-to-face in the gym left him feeling guilty about his previous comments.
“He could have said something or confronted me, but he just said, ‘Nice to see you,'” Neville recalled.
The encounter made Neville realize the weight of his words and the impact they had on Karius.
It’s clear that Neville has been taking steps to reflect on and amend his past harsh criticisms, learning from his experiences and aiming to approach future commentary with more thoughtfulness.