Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Steven Railston

'What about Scholes!?' - Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher clash with combined Man United and Man City team

When asked to pick a combined team between Manchester United's '99 treble-winning side and the Manchester City squad from this season, Gary Neville was perplexed by Jamie Carragher not choosing Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

The pair selected their teams on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football and although Neville initially refused to pick any City players for his combined side, he eventually made space for Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.

With the exception of those City additions, Neville picked all of his players from the '99 treble-winning side and he described his former teammates David Beckham, Roy Keane, Scholes and Giggs as the "best midfield the country has ever seen".

ALSO READ: Man United must ignore obvious Amad temptation next season

Neville added: "The best young player we've ever seen in the league is Haaland, what he's done is off the scale. De Bruyne is potentially one of the best midfielders we've had in the league, so being objective, those two would come in.

"I'd have myself at right-back, Dias is a world-class centre-back and Ronny Johnsen I love, but he sometimes had injuries, although I don't want to be disrespectful."

Neville XI: Schmeichel, Neville, Stam, Dias, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Scholes, Giggs, De Bruyne, Haaland.

Neville's combined XI. (Sky Sports)

Carragher picked eight of the same players, but he removed Neville, Scholes and Giggs at the expense of Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Grealish respectively, which his fellow pundit in the studio immediately took umbrage with.

Carragher said: "'This wasn't on who was the best player over their whole career, it was just on that season, that's how I judged it, just on that season. Ryan Giggs obviously had that famous goal but I just think Grealish has got better numbers.

"Five goals, seven assists, Giggs had three goals, one assist in that season, in the league, that's why I've gone for him."

Neville was bemused by the snub of Giggs and Scholes, replying: "Ohhhh [groans]. What about Scholes, what happened with him and Gundogan? You've just gone off goals and assists with Giggs and Grealish. Scholes had 22 goals and assists that season.

"He played 51 matches, what part of that season did he not play? I'm not going to entertain the conversation."

Carragher XI: Schmeichel, Walker, Stam, Dias, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Gundogan, Grealish, De Bruyne, Haaland.

READ MORE:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.