Gary Neville has made a dramatic turnaround on his views on Liverpool’s midfield and has now claimed it is the team's ‘weakness’.
Back in March, Neville had hailed the strength of Liverpool’s midfielders and their importance to the team. Yet, three months later, the former Manchester United defender has backtracked on his views and believes their inadequacy will hand Real Madrid the advantage during Saturday’s Champions League final.
The Reds are hopeful that both Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho will be fit for the showpiece event at the Stade de France against Carlo Ancelotti’s side after injuries in recent weeks. However, even if they are fit, Neville believes that Los Blancos have superiority in that area of the pitch.
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But three months ago, Neville had highlighted how the strength in Liverpool’s midfield options would make all the difference during the run-in. “People see the midfield at Liverpool as maybe the weakness,” he had told The Overlap on March 30. “I think it’s the strength. Because of the discipline and their subservient nature – Fabinho, Thiago and Henderson – means they just hold the rest of the team together. I really do worry that they will go and win three or four trophies."
However, on Wednesday evening’s The Overlap Live Fan Debate 4.0, Neville had completely changed his tune. He said: “I’ve thought a lot about Paris. I thought Real Madrid and why they’ve won these games. I thought back to 1999 and how we kept coming back in games and it was our midfield of Keane, Butt, Scholes, Giggs and Beckham. They were absolutely phenomenal beyond what I’ve ever seen.
“I think of Real Madrid’s midfield with Kroos, Casemiro, Modric, Valverde, Camavinga - the five drive them right from the first minute to the last second. Last 15, I think the midfield is Liverpool’s weak point in their team. That midfield from Real Madrid when they combine, he [Ancelotti] changes them late or interferes with them, I see that winning the game on Saturday.”
Liverpool will hope to make Neville eat his words come Saturday evening as they aim to have the last laugh by matching Manchester United’s famous treble-winning team of 1999 that the former United right-back was a key part of.
