The appointment of Gary Neville as Valencia manager was as controversial as it was surprising. In the Premier League centric world he was the untouchable, in La Liga, he was the chairman's friend who was being parachuted in above more deserving candidates.
Neville has been anything but lambasted by the Mestalla faithful but there's only so much they'll be able to take and Sunday's 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sporting Gijon was a new low. Eight La Liga games in charge and Neville is still without a win. They're too good to get sucked in but it must be pointed out that they're now just six points clear of the relegation zone.
Understandably, Neville is an easy target for the Spanish media. A friend of chairman Peter Lim, he was brought in from England on the belief that he had superior knowledge and would be able to turn things around. That may well still be the case but when you're losing at home to Gijon, the media and the fans will be on your back. In this case, it wasn't entirely clear which of those two forces were actually pushing an agenda.
During the post match press conference, Neville was asked about the belief that Valencia fans are already calling for his head. It's fair to say he didn't take to kindly with that question, instead accusing the journalist of pushing a line of questioning that wasn't there to be pushed.
You're asking me about my position. The Valencia fans have a very fine way of telling you about when your position [is in danger], but you didn't see that today. 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 a reporter, and I've been a reporter, is to represent fairly what happens and, in my opinion, that doesn't represent what has happened among the 30,000 or 40,000 fans there today.
It must be said that, for all the negativity seeping across to the English speaking press, Valencia really shouldn't have lost that game yesterday. Gijon were dangerous on the break but had Alvaro Negredo taken even a small percentage of the chances that came his way, Valencia would have been out of sight. They're creating chances and with Real Betis up next, you'd have to think that a first win is not too far away.
[Sport]
