I'm sure he did. The same way any manager would. The analysis into everything these people do is ridiculous. He was offered a temporary job and it was a great opportunity. Save judgement on his decision making process until you're faced with the same temptation.
Gary Neville has been appointed as Head Coach of Valencia until the end of the season.
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
You're having a mare here.
Pochettino starting coaching at Southampton despite knowing how to speak English first, he needed a translator. Guardiola did not need managerial experience in the lower leagues before taking helm at Barcelona (if you tell me right now that you thought Guardiola would be a success at Barcelona, you're a liar).
My point is, this has gone tits up, and the odds were against Gary from the beginning, BUT that in no way indicates he did anything wrong by accepting the role. Not knowing the language, or not having any prior experience, have been proven to not matter when selecting candidates. As far as UEFA, Lim, and Valencia's board were concerned, he bloody well was qualified for the job. Shame he couldn't get a final consultation from us 'tards on the Caf.
I could extend that to Giggs as well. Even if I believe he is better off not being our manager, since there are more qualified and interested candidates than him, if our board was that useless that he was offered/promised a role after Van Gaal, why the feck wouldn't he take the role? Because of us critics?
Pochettino had a previous coaching job before joining Southampton, Guardiola was already inside the Barca system and was coaching the youth team. Both of them had a bigger experience than Neville and were definitely more ready than him. Neville had what when he went to Valencia ? Basically nothing.
Pochettino failed miserably at Espanyol prior to his role at Southampton. If he had a discussion with Nutz, the consensus would have been that he should go to League 1 to redeem himself.
That has nothing to do with my point (which is not arguing that Gary was a great decision). I'm saying that the criteria that Nutz put down as necessary have never really applied to managers. Many managers have walked into positions that we would deem them as "unqualified" for. Some have done well, some have failed. Neville falls in the latter category of course. Plus, this idea that Neville should have declined the role is stupid as well.
And if we honestly have this discussion, do you think manager/first coach position filling in football is completely meritorious and transparent? Nepotism exists at all levels. But Gary is supposed to decline a job offer providing him an entrance into coaching at a high level?
You're having a mare here.
He had some success at Espanyol, especially in the first two seasons. Otherwise, he wouldn't have managed there for 3 years.
Because they are the options he had. One was the job he had. The other was the job he was offered. I'm not aware of any other offers he had, so I've not taken anything else in to account.
When would he ever be ready for management if he's never managed? A manager with experience is preferable, but a manager has to gain that experience somehow. He's got himself the coaching qualifications, so he himself must have felt ready to make a start on it. Working with his brother, working beneath an owner he has a relationship with, most probably an attractive salary and the resources to push towards the Champions League places; it's a good opportunity, but a very difficult one.
I guess we will agree to disagree, but I commend his decision to take on such a difficult challenge. It's not worked out for him as yet, and quite possibly won't at all, but he wasn't to know that. Neither were the posters in this thread. Look at the first few pages. Before he'd even overseen a game as manager, people were saying "Future United manager
" and whatnot. He was expected to do well.Are you sure about the espanyol thing? I had read he had done well there
Pretty sure he did. He just refused to speak to the media in English. The Southampton players mentioned it iirc.
I'm not entering your debate with the other poster. Just saying that the examples you mentioned aren't really close to Neville's current situation. Pochettino might have had a bad time or not in Spain but there is always a lot of experience to gain from it and it surely helped in his other jobs. Obviously there is no evidence as I haven't done any research but it wouldn't surprise to see inexperienced managers struggling badly in their first (and at the same big) job more often than them succeeding. Managing is a very tough job, Neville would have been stupid to decline IMHO and if some blame is to laid then really the people who hired should be the ones responsible. It was a risky and stupid decision from them.
Don't agree, sorry. Lim is a banker who made many millions very quick. His super agent mate has bought all his players in and the end result is an unbalanced mess of a squad. Lim's connection to Neville is that he has invested in his businesses - his hotels, his restaurants and his reality tv/team owner project at Salford FC.
None of that means Neville should have been offered the job. The whole project threatens to disrespect the game, and certainly makes Neville look stupid.
He's not earnt this opportunity through any decent work anywhere, it's come from his pathetic business connections.
What the hell does that have to do with Pochetino? Or Guardiola?
Guardiola must be laughing himself silly at the amateurish go Neville's had. Let's face it, the Guardiola 'sabbatical' in New York to learn English must have already been preparation for the City job (they even have a NYC connection) and his preparation levels are notorious. Neville has done some media work and opened a restaurant.
It belies his own experience in the game, and makes an absolute mockery of Valencia's status and history, and their fan base.
And was let go by them in his third season. Apologies if I'm not too enthused about it. When Southampton let Atkins go for Pochettino there was an uproar. They were proven right in their decision, but let's not pretend at the time that any of us would have thought he was "qualified", or whatever the feck that means.
Did ok. Midtable finishes in the first 2 seasons, let go in the third season after a bad run.
I'm positive there are examples of other managers going elsewhere where communication with the players will be a problem. This is not a hard criteria that is enforced.
Maybe that is the kickoff Neville needs :-)
Otherwise I agree with your post.
"You're having a mare here" 
How many more times will someone write that in this thread?
How many more times will someone write that in this thread?
You're having a mare here."You're having a mare here"
How many more times will someone write that in this thread?
Yeah I'm sure it was only the connection.
You can make an argument for saying Neville shouldn't have been offered the job. This has nothing to do with whether he should have taken it or not.
And now we're back to the whole "what qualifies as sufficient experience to manage Valencia". You should upload a copy of the requirements when you have time.
You really don't get it, do you?
Next you'll be telling me LVG made an absolute mockery of our history and status by accepting the role of Manchester United manager.
"You're having a mare here"
How many more times will someone write that in this thread?
feck off it's a lovely phrase.My argument is that it shouldn't have been offered or accepted.
Are you arguing that Neville is sufficiently qualified to go straight into that situation in La Liga at a club that big?
If so, what are his qualifications?
As for the Lim connection, what other connection are you implying they have? It's a strong connection based, until now, on his investing in Neville's businesses.
It's interesting that United and all those associated carried a bastion of longevity but since SAF quit, maybe all along we were just in an idealistic bubble that was bound to burst when the he retired.
SAF always spoke about players doing their apprenticeship from the ground up, earning the right to get the top flight jobs rather than using their name to get their foot in the door. Moyes who embodied that failed and now SAF has since advocated Giggs which goes against all he preached.
Using Pochettino and Guardiola as examples really don't help your argument, tbf. Neville not knowing Spanish, with no prior experience, must be frustrating and hard to swallow for the Valencia fans. You can't really blame them for seeing him just as an unqualified guy who knew a guy to get the job.
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I was really impressed when Guardiola conducted his very first Bayern press conference in German. I don't speak German so can't say how good he was but the very fact that he could form sentences and understand the questions impressed me greatly. Meanwhile we have Phil Neville still saying Buenos Noches (should be buenas, feminine) after months of lessons. That's a day one spanish lesson and its so much easier to write than talk.
It probably shouldn't have been offered. Once it was offered, Neville accepting it isn't a travesty. He thought he could do it. The board thought he could do it. Simple.
For the last time, I'm bringing up Pochettino and Guardiola as examples of managers who at some point were hired despite their qualifications that would have been rejected as not good enough by conventional wisdom. Let's not pretend as if there is some science to this craft, is all I'm saying. I'm not trying to say Neville has the managerial pedigree of Pochettino or Guardiola's toenail.
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Er, it's not. With an owner like Lim there's no guarantee its a board decision.
Answer the question: what qualified Neville to be given the job?
How the hell do you know?
I said that earlier. The UEFA Pro License. He either has one, or is on his way to getting one. Beyond that, what qualifications should he have, and where is that listed?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Pro_Licence
Can you imagine what would happen if our next manager is a former Spanish player, who has never played outside Spain, never managed any team anywhere, and doesn't speak any English?
Come on, you know that it's not enough qualification to have that job, Valencia are contenders for a CL spot.
Um, how about plenty of decent managerial experience, hell, maybe even some success, and the ability to communicate in Spanish?
Do you need that in list form?
Well if he needs a translator Mourinho is unemployed...
There is no method to this madness of selecting managers. It's the direct opposite of a meritocracy. You tell me, what job did Neville qualify for, pre-Valencia?
Yes please. Times New Roman, 11 pt. Oh, put dots next to the items. The deputy loves dots.
I'll tell you. Preston North End, Oldham - something along those lines. Why would he be afraid of dropping to that level of he was any good?
why everyone keep mentioning Mcnair?"You're having a mare here"
How many more times will someone write that in this thread?
What qualifies him for those positions? Wouldn't a manager of... *looks up club in West Midlands League* Dudley Town be more qualified?
And isn't that logic patronizing to the fans of Preston North End?
"Oh right, the fans of Valencia deserve much better than this charlatan. Preston North End? They should be honored to have this same guy walk in and manage them"
our very likely next manager wasn't even a footballer
Typically Championship or PL bottom half. But not a European team.
It's at least a recognised career path. He knows English football, has contacts and knowledge that would be of benefit, no pressure to qualify for Europe etc None of that applies to the Valencia job.
Who cares if the manager has been a footballer? It's irrelevant.our very likely next manager wasn't even a footballer
Is he a good manager? Has he won anything as a manager?
Pochettino had three and a half good seasons at Espanyol, despite them being a selling club, they outperformed their wages budget to finish comfortably mid-table. He was well respected in Spain, viewed as a rising star. It went wrong in his final half season and he and the DoF ended up leaving. Failed miserably? By Espanyol standards he did fine and he survived for 4 years at a club where managers average about 18 months. There was a good reason why Southampton were quick to hire him.