Gary Neville hits back at Ruben Amorim after Man Utd boss namechecks him in explosive rant before sacking
Read Gary Neville’s full response to the axed manager below
GARY NEVILLE has hit back at Ruben Amorim after he was namechecked in the manager’s explosive rant before he was sacked.
Amorim, 40, hit out at the club bosses following the 1-1 draw to Leeds at Elland Road, which has led to his axing at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim namechecked Gary Neville in his bombshell rantCredit: Getty
Neville has responded to the Manchester United managerCredit: PA
He complained about his “head coach” title and insisted he be referred to as the “manager”.
He also aimed a thinly-veiled jibe at director of football Jason Wilcox after missing out on Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo.
Even United legend Neville was in the firing line as now now-unemployed coach referred to him regarding his criticism of the club.
The reference came as he believed he would “move on” at the end of his contract – only to be sacked today.
Amorim said: “I just want to say that I’m going to be the manager of this team, not just the coach.
“And I was really clear on that. And that is going to finish in 18 months and then everyone is going to move on. That was the deal.
“That is my job, not to be a coach. If people cannot handle the Gary Nevilles and the criticism of everything, we need to change the club.
“No, guys, I just want to say that I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach.
“And every department, the scouting department, the sports director, needs to do their job.
“I will do mine for 18 months and then we move on.“
Neville, 50, responded to being named in Amorim’s rant, calling it “bizarre” but also claiming he has been “supportive” in recent weeks.
He said on Sky Sports: “Some bizarre comments around, ‘I’m a manager, not a head coach’.
“I just said about [Enzo] Maresca, once you start this game-playing in your press conferences, something is obviously annoying him, he’s not feeling the support and he’s letting go,
“To say that you’ve come to the club as a manager, I thought he was appointed head coach of the football club and appointed to coach the team.
“Manager is a title that we don’t see anymore. I don’t know what Pep Guardiola is at Manchester City.
“Manager suggests that he’s saying that he wants to manage more than just the training ground performance.
“He wants to overlook other parts of the club.
“They have a greater say on other parts of the club, like recruitment, academy, style of play and how the club go about their pre-season friendlies.
“He’s suggesting, maybe, that he needs to be given the ability to manage more departments of the club.
“I’ve not seen the press conference at all, they’ve just been sent to me by the staff producer, but [he said] about other people doing their job in their department.
“Again, that would suggest that he’s not happy with something.
“Something’s happened there in the last week with the quotes that are coming out, which means that Ruben Amorim is now starting to unleash and as Maresca did.