Source: Daily_Mail
Gary Neville promises honesty in Sky Sports job
Neutral Nev is not a name that sits altogether comfortably with Gary Neville or the supporters of Manchester United's rivals who have come to know him as Sir Alex Ferguson's lieutenant over the course of a decorated playing career.[LNB]It is the biggest obstacle he now faces as a Sky Sports pundit, and one perhaps not helped by the announcement that he will combine his new job with a role as an Old Trafford ambassador.[LNB] Promise of honesty: Gary Neville insists he won't be biased towards Man United as a Sky Sports pundit[LNB]But as the former United and England veteran prepares to launch himself into a new career off the pitch, he spoke with typical candour on a variety of subjects yesterday ranging from the growing threat to United from Manchester City to his feud with Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney's ban and the removal of Rio Ferdinand as England captain.[LNB]The man they called Red Nev insisted that United will remain the dominant team in English football irrespective of City's emergence or the outcome of next week's FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.[LNB]He said: 'We've seen it before with Blackburn. We saw it with Leeds, we saw it with Chelsea and we see it now with City and Tottenham.[LNB]'There have been loads of clubs who have thrown money at it over the last 15 years. Some of them have been successful and some haven't. All I know is that United have remained successful throughout that period.[LNB]'The reality is that the club still stays, this club doesn't move, it continues and does what it does.[LNB]'When the current owners who bought City came in, you recognised they would throw a lot of money at it. You know what's been coming for two or three years. You just hope you can always keep them at bay.[LNB]'The credentials are there but the reality is you have to do it on the pitch. You have to win a game. They know they'll have to beat Manchester United to win the FA Cup. It was the same last season (in the Carling Cup semi-finals).[LNB] Busy man: Neville is currently doing his coaches badges at Man United[LNB]'I wouldn't say it's a lesser game for either club. But how, as a Manchester United player, can you think about City when you've got a European Cup quarter-final against Chelsea here on Tuesday night?[LNB]'The players are quite cold about it. There's no point getting carried away with the emotion of it all: trying to stop City's domination and stop them winning things. That's a bit of an irrelevance. It's noise to be honest with you.'[LNB]Neville insisted that he bears no grudge towards Tevez despite their falling out last season. The United player aimed an obscene gesture at his old team-mate as the Argentine celebrated scoring in the Carling Cup semi-final, and Tevez later called Neville a 'bootlicker'. [LNB]Relations between the two clubs were already strained after Tevez's appearance on a City billboard poster, but Neville said: 'I like Carlos and I would shake his hand because he was someone who was very successful at United.'[LNB] More relaxed: Neville admitted he didn't enjoy his last Man United game against West Brom (above)[LNB]Neville also warned that United know enough about Tevez to stop him at Wembley, adding: 'He is their best player and has been their most important player for the last couple of years. But our lads are very good defenders who know Carlos.[LNB]United's most lethal weapon will be sitting on the sidelines on Saturday, and Neville added his voice to the Old Trafford protests that Rooney has been singled out over his two-game ban for swearing.[LNB]'We know that,' he said. 'There is just a sort of disbelief at the reaction. He did not deserve a twogame ban. He's missing an FA Cup semi for swearing, and that's a dangerous precedent.[LNB]'You can't ban someone for swearing on a football pitch for two matches. If you do, I think you have to ban every player who gets caught on camera swearing. How do you police it?'[LNB]Neville also criticised Fabio Capello over the handling of his decision to reappoint John Terry as England captain in place of his old United team-mate Ferdinand.[LNB] Testimonial: Neville celebrates the 1999 Champions league semi-final win over Juventus with his brother Phil - he will face them again in May[LNB]He said: 'It seemed strange that Capello, a man of great experience, said after the Denmark game that he finally understood the importance of the England captaincy but then dealt with it in the way that he did. At United it would be unusual for something as big as the captaincy to be handled the way it was through the press.[LNB]'If it was leaked out purposefully, that would be unforgivable. If it dripped out in another way it would be sloppy. You deal with the player first. It would never happen at this club. But England is a different kettle of fish. It's a circus.'[LNB]Impartial or not, it would appear that life will never be dull with Neville behind the microphone.[LNB]United will play Juventus in Gary Neville's testimonial at Old Trafford on Tuesday, May 24. Log on to www. manutd.co.uk for more details or call 0161 868 8000 for tickets. [LNB] My Gran saw me swear on TV! Neville launches attack on FA for Rooney banFergie on the rampage: Man United boss questions future integrity of referees in rant at the FA over Rooney's banAll the latest Man United news, features and opinionAll the latest Liverpool news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Alex Ferguson, Andy Gray, Ryan Giggs, Bryan Robson, Gary Neville, David Gill Places: Cardiff, United Kingdom, Wales
