As a player, Gary Neville wore his heart on his sleeve. Passion for the jersey was a feature of his performances for club and country in a long and distinguished career with Manchester United and England.
And so, predictably, he was hurting after his old club slipped to an embarrassing 3-1 loss to Watford at Vicarage Road.
Poor all day!
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) September 18, 2016
His mood wasn't improved whenever he came across a cheeky tweet from the official Liverpool FC Twitter account in response to 'The United Stand', a Red Devils Youtube channel.
.@UnitedStandMUFC Delete.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 18, 2016
Neville went off on one.
Don't mind a tweet like that at all but IF that United changing room isn't wound up now it never will be!! https://t.co/CNWnHojqux
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) September 18, 2016
And if I was a Liverpool player id be hammering the Twitter guy!! https://t.co/CNWnHojqux
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) September 18, 2016
Official club account mocking greatest rivals 5 games into a season with a game coming up in a few weeks. Why do it? https://t.co/bVWfKzQTKM
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) September 18, 2016
What made it even better was when Neville's Sky Sports colleague and partner in crime, Jamie Carragher, gently wound up/encouraged him in his enraged state.
It's David Luiz's agent. https://t.co/77s2CzIyQF
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) September 18, 2016
Do you run LFC Twitter account? https://t.co/rlgE4nITqW
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) September 18, 2016
Unfortunately not but if I did I wouldn't say delete I'd say Deeney. https://t.co/ASV8et2Yv8
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) September 18, 2016
Neville even started replying to random members of the Twitterati.
Trust me I wouldn't! I'd be embarrassed! https://t.co/F2Ith5cyCf
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) September 18, 2016
Is this perhaps an attempt by Neville to highlight the tweet in an attempt to rile the United players ahead of their clash with Liverpool on 17th October at Anfield, and following a difficult week featuring defeats to Manchester City and Feyenoord?
That might be reading too much into things, but it is evident that Neville's comments indicate a frustration with how things are at the club that could seep into the fans now that the novelty of the Pogba-Zlatan effect is wearing off.
