One for the purists, or so we often say as two sides neutralise each other towards a stalemate.
Where many supporters of Manchester United and City were not too enamoured with their sides’ cagey 0-0 draw, on Sunday, Gary Neville lapped it up.
United failed to register a shot on, or off, target for the first time since Opta began recording match stats [1996] while City rarely troubled David de Gea up the other end.
The hosts played Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Scwheinsteiger as their defensive screen, at Old Trafford, while City went with Fernandinho and Fernando to protect their back four.
Fans at the Theatre of Dreams would have been forgiven for drifting off midway through a match with less bite than a toothless pensioner.
However, in his Daily Telegraph column, today, Neville is enthused. He writes:
“The fan watching it probably thinks that it is boring, that the entertainment is poor, but I really enjoyed the game and the first-half was probably the best 45 minutes I have seen anywhere in the Premier League this season.
“The Premier League is renowned for entertainment and madness, but this was a game for the professional and I genuinely believe there were a lot of very good things out on that pitch.”
Neville likened the game to a chess contest and reserved praise for Nicolas Otamendi, Antonio Valencia and Marcos Rojo.
He added, “For every attacking player out on that pitch, it was a nightmare, but that was largely because the defensive units of both teams did exactly what is required in the Champions League.
“If I was a coach of United or City, I would be proud of how the players conducted themselves and followed instructions.”
Remember, Neville was a defender so he loves a stalemate more than most.
