Gary Neville reacts angrily to questions over Valencia future after latest defeat
Manager's winless league run stretches to nine games but he insists fans are still behind him
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Your support makes all the difference.Gary Neville branded suggestions his position at Valencia was under threat ‘ridiculous’ despite another setback as Sporting Gijon won 1-0 at the Mestalla on Sunday evening.
Neville is still waiting for his first win with the La Liga side since he took over in December, and his team were booed during Sunday’s home defeat by relegation-threatened Gijon.
Antonio Sanabria scored the winning goal from the penalty spot after a trip on Jony.
After the match Neville was asked if his future was under threat.
“You’re asking me about my position? The Valencia fans have a very fine way of telling you when your position [is under threat], but you didn’t see that today,” Neville said.
“I find this question ridiculous. It’s from you - don’t put this onto the fans. Please don’t sit there and put this on the fans, it’s a big mistake you’re making.
“You misrepresent what they’ve shown from the first minute to the last and your job as reporter – and I’ve been a reporter – is to represent fairly what happens and that doesn’t represent what has happened among the 30,000 or 40,000 fans there today.”
Neville has led Valencia to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey but Valencia’s league form remains a concern – he has not won in nine games. And the manager struggled to explain his latest defeat.
“I can sleep at night knowing there have been improvements structurally in the team, but we should have won that game four or five-nil in my opinion,” Neville said.
“I think I’ve had 14 matches here and that was a performance I can relate to. I find it difficult to explain. I just sat there with the players and coaching staff for 15 minutes trying to understand what actually happened on the pitch.
“It’s obviously the most disappointing result of the season here but it doesn’t tell the story of the game, which was the best performance of the season. It’s a game we shouldn’t lose, you all know that.
“It’s a big disappointment but we don’t have time to be disappointed, we have to ride straight away again on the bike. I told the players in the dressing room to not allow that to colour their minds.
“I feel much better after that performance than I did after the Rayo or Getafe matches [which ended in draws], even though they were better results.”
Last week footage emerged (above) of Neville and his brother, Phil, resorting to some colourful English language as they struggled to get their message across in Spanish.
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