Neville Asks Sky to Drop Him from City Games as Gallagher Brands Him a ‘Cry Baby’

Gary Neville has publicly asked Sky Sports to remove him from commentary duties on Manchester City matches while the club’s appeal against its guilty verdict is ongoing. Speaking on Super Sunday after City’s 3-0 win at Anfield, the former Manchester United captain said the unresolved case makes it difficult to praise the league leaders without reservation.

It was Neville’s first City assignment since the independent commission’s findings. “If you could take me off Manchester City games moving forward for the next few months until the verdicts have been heard, I would be absolutely delighted,” he told viewers. Winning at Anfield, he added, is hard enough that the performance should be celebrated without hesitation, yet “there is that thing in the back of your mind.” He noted that if the guilty verdicts are upheld early next year, City will not occupy their current position and a large shadow will hang over the entire competition. “Really bad for the Premier League and it is going to continue for a few months.”

City, still top with a perfect six wins from six, capitalised on Ryan Gravenberch’s red card in the 62nd minute. Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki scored as Enzo Maresca’s side controlled the closing stages. Neville credited goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ruben Dias and Elliot Anderson with strong first-half work and said the team “dug in” and “stood strong as a group.”

The club was found to have used sham commercial deals to conceal more than £900 million in funding from its Abu Dhabi owners between 2009 and 2018, artificially boosting revenues and reducing costs. City is appealing. Possible sanctions if the ruling stands include large fines, points deductions, transfer bans or expulsion from the Premier League.

Fellow Sky pundit Jamie Carragher argued that City cannot be allowed to win the title this season if the guilty finding remains. “That cannot happen… This has to be done before the end of the season, there is no way this can carry on until the end of the season.”

Oasis frontman and lifelong City supporter Liam Gallagher responded on social media by mocking Neville and Carragher. He wrote: “Gary Neville threatening to not commentate on city games anymore HALLA F***ING LULU take your Scouse mate with ya ya pair of BIG CRY BABYS MCFC LG.”