Gary Neville was furious at the way both Aston Villa and Manchester United went about their business of trying to win the crucial top-six battle on Sunday evening.
United found themselves level with their hosts heading into the final 20 minutes after Douglas Luiz equalised following a period of pressure from Unai Emery’s side. Erik ten Hag had seen his men take the lead through Rasmus Hojlund in the first half.
Villa responded well to the goal and had poor finishing to blame for not getting back into the game much earlier. However, as both sides weighed up the state of such a crucial game, Neville expressed his annoyance at the way things were being managed.
“It just drives me crazy,” he said after Andre Onana took his time in possession, holding onto the ball before putting it to the ground and waiting for pressure.
When Villa finally did take the bait, Onana shifted the ball out to his defenders. “That’s better,” Neville said.
It wasn’t the first time he complained about the way both sides were building from the defence either. Neville spoke continually about the tactics employed by two teams as they lured opposition forwards onto them before trying to spring an attack out of nothing.
Just minutes before United went on to score the winner, he said, “there’s a bit of a lull in the stadium, the odd spark we have seen but it’s at both ends. Both teams just happy to waste time, it just does my head in. I can’t get used to it.”
Ultimately the decision from Ten Hag to once more ask his team to play in such a way appeared to pay off though. Scott McTominay headed in a late winner to reward the Red Devils on the road as they moved to within five points of their new European rivals.
The win also stretched the gap to Newcastle in seventh up to five points.