Gary Neville went on an incredible rant in the closing stages of Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Wolves – to the point where he admitted he couldn’t watch the game anymore.
In a match with few opportunities in the first half, Ibrahima Konate scored a header to put Liverpool ahead just before the break. However, a mistake by Konate allowed Rayan Ait Nouri to equalize for Wolves. Mohamed Salah then regained the lead for Liverpool with a penalty after Nelson Semedo fouled Diogo Jota.
As the match progressed, Wolves fans grew frustrated with the team’s cautious approach, often starting attacks only to pass back to goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. Even commentator Gary Neville expressed his annoyance, saying, “This constant passing back to the goalkeeper drives me mad. They need a goal—do they realize that? It’s infuriating. Football fans see what’s happening; they need to come up with a different strategy. I’m not suggesting they just kick it long. We often criticize teams for imitating Pep Guardiola, but his players have the skill to execute it.”
Liverpool quickly regained the lead after conceding, with Salah converting the penalty.
Gary Neville expressed his frustration during the closing moments of Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Wolves, stating he could no longer watch the match. He criticized Wolves for their overly cautious style of play, where players passed back to the goalkeeper instead of pushing forward, especially when they needed a goal with just four minutes left.
Neville lamented, “We’re seeing teams at the bottom of the table making six passes between the center-back and goalkeeper when they need a goal, and I can’t accept that.” He emphasized that this isn’t just a critique of Wolves but applies to many teams, urging players to inject more urgency into their game.
He argued that the primary goal should be to deliver the ball effectively to strikers, lamenting that many teams have forgotten this fundamental aspect of football. When informed that Wolves substitute Hwang Hee-chan had only one touch in the final third over 21 minutes, Neville remarked on the imbalance, noting that the center-backs had hundreds of touches instead.
Despite Wolves pushing into Liverpool’s penalty area multiple times during stoppage time, they were unable to score an equalizer. O’Neil’s team has lost five of their six Premier League matches this season and currently finds itself in the relegation zone.
In the game’s final minute, Neville criticized the lack of attacking movement, stating, “Nobody’s forward. Five or six players are still hanging back. We need to avoid turning footballers into robots who just stick to their positions. They must feel empowered to take risks and push forward. At this point, they should throw everything at the game; they might as well lose 3-1.”
