Gary Neville has made a point about Sir Alex Ferguson following Liverpool’s draw with Manchester City.
The Reds were involved in a top-of-the-table clash away at Manchester City in the Premier League, and were held to a 2-2 draw. Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane got the goals for Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
Sunday’s stalemate leaves Jurgen Klopp’s side one point behind Man City with seven matches left to play. Liverpool are not back in league action until their rearranged home clash against Manchester United on April 19.
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Liverpool went into half time 2-1 down at the Etihad, with Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus scoring for the home side. Jota’s goal temporarily restored parity before the Reds trailed once again.
Neville has explained how Klopp likely employed a similar tactic to Ferguson at Manchester United with his half-time team talk. The Sky Sports pundit added why he thinks the draw is a better result for Liverpool than Man City.
“Before the game, I thought a point would be better for City, but at half-time, the game could have been out of sight,” said Neville, on the Sky Sports Gary Neville podcast .
“For Liverpool, their response in the second half was exceptional. They were so poor in the first half, so below the standard.
“I always remember going back to Sir Alex Ferguson, if we played badly in the first half of a big game at the end of the season, I do remember him saying a couple of times ‘have you fought all your lives, have you fought all season, have you fought the last three or four years to play like that?’
“It was almost as if at half-time Jurgen Klopp had to go and say, 'come on, we've built this team for three or four years and yet you've shown no authority, you've frozen, you've defended poorly'.
“But Liverpool responded brilliantly, so at the end of the game I have to say it’s a good point for Liverpool, considering where they were at half time.
“But City could have won the title today by winning the game; I don't think Liverpool could have because their run-in is harder.
“It does move on, it wouldn't surprise me if both teams won every game until the end of the season and Liverpool are sat thinking, if you're Liverpool, 'I wish we played better in the first half'. But we don't know, there is still a long way to go.
“It was frenetic. Punch for punch. Some of the things you watched was exceptional, they put pressure on each other.
“Their defences pushed up so high. To have your defence push so high in a game like that, the easiest thing is to just drop back. Even in the last 10 minutes, Liverpool and City’s back lines pushed up.
“They are true to their principles, true to their manager’s beliefs and they don't wilt. Liverpool have got real guts, they are streetfighters.
“What we saw in that second half was just the energy, passion, spirit, and fight that we have seen from Liverpool, and they’ve come back in the second half so well done to them.
“But City are a brilliant team, you can't really speak highly enough, there are no more words for these two in terms of what they have achieved in the last few years.
“And they are going to go for it in these last few weeks, hell for leather in the FA Cup, Champions League and Premier League.”
Speaking more about the game, Neville went on to name the three players that he was most impressed with. The former Manchester United captain then praised Mohamed Salah and Mane for their response in the second half.
“I’d like to have seen more authority from Fabinho, Van Dijk and Alisson in the first half. That incredible spine that they’ve got there,” said Neville.
“Thiago and Henderson on the ball, that experience that they’ve got. They didn’t play well and they didn’t show up.
“Salah and Mane weren’t in the game, but then in the second half they turned up.
“If you ever wondered if those two should start or if Diaz or Firmino should come in, you saw with Salah and Mane why they are still operating at the highest level.
“They’ve built up too much trust, they’ve got too many credits bank to be taken off at half time or to be left out, because they deliver and they delivered on the second goal”
