Neville slams United and City during Manchester derby - 'this has got to stop'

The latest Manchester United news after the 0-0 draw in the derby with Manchester City at Old Trafford about what Gary Neville said during the Sky Sports coverage

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Gary Neville did not hold back when expressing his disappointment during the Manchester derby.

The lacklustre performance from both teams in the opening half at Old Trafford led the former Manchester United captain to lament the absence of expansive play. During the first 45 minutes, each team managed only a single shot on target.

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From the commentary box, Neville could not contain his frustration at the overly cautious tactics employed by both sides. He made it clear that neither team had done enough.

"It's like we've got to a point in football where teams are frightened to death to give the ball away, make a mistake, take a risk," Neville said. "They're all so obsessed with shape... nothing off-the-cuff is happening in lots of games.

"This has got to stop. The excitement and beauty of the Premier League is the sort of thrust and energy and excitement and doing things a little bit differently. [This] 45 minutes is a non-entity; it's not good enough from either team."

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Neville was not the only one expressing his disappointment with the proceedings at Old Trafford. In the Sky studio, fellow pundits Micah Richards and Roy Keane did not hold back their grievances.

"There's a real lack of quality," declared Keane, "No atmosphere. City have dominated possession, United have sat in. But it's a derby game, there's no energy in the stadium. This is a friendly derby!".

"It's laboured, it's flat," lamented Richards. "There's no energy. There's no anything!".

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Observers from outside the Manchester divide were hardly more impressed. The former Everton midfielder Leon Osman acknowledged the struggle to stay engaged with the match.

"It has not been easy viewing," he admitted. "After that first minute, there wasn't really a cheer or a tackle or anything for anyone to get up and interested by.

"It has not had the quality that we expect nor the derby intensity that you get with local rivalries."

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