Gary Neville Criticized for Downplaying Bruno Fernandes’ Stunning Free-Kick Against Arsenal
Manchester United fans have expressed frustration with Gary Neville’s commentary after Bruno Fernandes scored a magnificent free-kick against Arsenal, with the pundit focusing on Arsenal’s defensive setup rather than the quality of the strike.
In Sunday’s high-profile Premier League clash, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes delivered a moment of brilliance just before half-time. After Alejandro Garnacho was fouled outside the penalty area, Fernandes stepped up and executed a spectacular free-kick that combined perfect power and precision, leaving Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya with no chance despite his efforts to reach the ball.
The goal came somewhat against the run of play, giving the Red Devils a crucial advantage in the match. While Peter Drury provided enthusiastic commentary celebrating the technical quality of the strike, Neville’s immediate reaction focused elsewhere.
Fan Backlash to Neville’s Technical Analysis
United supporters quickly took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to voice their disappointment with Neville’s commentary approach. Instead of highlighting the exceptional skill displayed by Fernandes, the former United defender chose to analyze what he perceived as positioning errors in Arsenal’s defensive wall.
Neville specifically questioned: “Can we put a measure on that? Because that wall looked absolutely miles away. Usually you get – particularly a big wall like that, it always looks really difficult to get it up and over but there just seemed to be so much space.”
Later replays confirmed the distance between Fernandes and the Arsenal wall was 11.2 yards – slightly over the regulation 10 yards.
Fan reactions included:
- “Can Gary Neville not give Bruno any credit? All he’s talking about is the Arsenal wall.”
- “Fair play to Gary Neville blaming the wall when David Raya gave Bruno half the goal to aim at.”
- “Gary Neville watched that glorious free kick in front of the Stretford End and his immediate thought was the distance of Arsenal’s wall. Feels like Gary needs a break from football.”
- “Bruno scores a Cristiano Ronaldo-level free kick and Gary Neville questions how far back the wall was. I swear he never played for us.”
- “All Gary Neville can say is the wall was too far back!! Seriously have a day off!!”
The criticism highlights a growing perception among some Manchester United supporters that Neville, despite his history with the club, sometimes appears overly critical or reluctant to praise current United players’ achievements.
While Neville did acknowledge that United would go into half-time with joy following Fernandes’ strike, his technical analysis of the defensive setup dominated his commentary rather than celebrating the skill required to execute such a precise set-piece.
The free-kick demonstrated once again Fernandes’ capability as a dead-ball specialist, adding another memorable moment to his collection of impressive goals for Manchester United since joining the club in January 2020.
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