Gary Neville has been responsible for some real stinkers when it comes to predictions over the years, but he may well have outdone himself this season.
There have been some classics from the former Manchester United captain, mostly involving either his old side or Liverpool. Who can forget his confident claim back in 2019 that United would win the Premier League title again before the Reds – a prediction that was proven wrong literally just months later.
Then there was the time he exclaimed he had “never been as confident” as a United fan before the two sides met at Anfield in March 2023. Just hours later, he was reflecting on a 7-0 defeat for his side.
All of that though perhaps pales in comparison to his main offering this season. Just before the campaign got underway, Neville offered up this nugget of wisdom when predicting the Premier League’s top four.
“We have to go Arsenal and Manchester City because we all collectively agree. I do [agree about Manchester United getting in the top four]. I am not sure [on Liverpool getting top four],” he said while appearing on Stick to Football (brought to you by Sky Bet).
He didn’t stop there though. “Surprise: Liverpool don’t finish in the top six,” he would go on to add.
(Image: Getty Images)
It didn’t take long for that prediction to blow up in his face, and with every passing week, it has only been made to look worse and worse.
While Liverpool has gone on to be crowned the champion of England for a 20th time, bringing it back level with United’s tally in the process, his own side has fallen further and further down the table.
Arne Slot’s side sits a staggering 44 points ahead of its greatest rival – and let’s face it, it would probably be more had Liverpool not taken its foot off the gas in recent games.
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Already guaranteed it’s worst-ever Premier League finish, there was one ray of hope for United to salvage something from its season as it eyed up the unlikeliest of Champions League places via the Europa League final. Alas, Ruben Amorim’s side would meekly surrender to Tottenham to cap off the most disastrous of seasons.
No surprise then that Neville’s regular sidekick on Sky Sports Jamie Carragher has been reveling in the misery at Old Trafford. Neville, meanwhile, has been noticeably quiet, perhaps trying to avoid addressing that infamous prediction.
If it wasn’t clear at the time, not only did Neville seriously underestimate Liverpool’s quality, but he catastrophically overestimated United’s capabilities.
Will he learn from his mistake? Well, if previous evidence is anything to go by, probably not, and if anything, we’ll probably welcome him predicting success for United again, given what it usually means.
