Jamie Carragher Shocked by Player Gary Neville Picked in Team of Season so Far.
As we’ve now passed the halfway point in the 2024/25 campaign, both Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have named their respective Premier League Team of the Season so far – and the former couldn’t help but laugh at one of the latter’s selections.
On Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Carragher and Neville, two of football punditry’s biggest names, were tasked with picking an XI of their best performers in the top flight so far given that all 20 clubs are approaching the turn of the year.
The likes of record-breaking Mohamed Salah, Chris Wood and Virgil van Dijk were chosen by both – but in light of their shocking season so far, highlighted by their chastening 2-0 loss to Newcastle United, no Manchester United players featured in either XI.
Similarly on the other side of Manchester, Pep Guardiola’s men have struggled to reach their usual standards, but that didn’t prevent Neville, recognised as one of the best right-backs in Premier League history, from picking Josko Gvardiol.
As alluded to, the pair were on the same wavelength for the majority of their picks, with the only points of contention being between the sticks and across the back line – but Neville’s selection of Gvardiol prompted Carragher to call the former right-back out.
In utter disbelief at Neville opting for the Manchester City star, Carragher said, “How have you picked [Josko] Gvardiol at left-back? He gives a goal away every game! Have you actually watched Man City? Obviously not enough. What games have you watched? Are you serious?”
The ex-Manchester United captain admitted to struggling with choosing a left-back for his team – hence why he landed on the Croatian, a player he praised for being a goal threat in a ponderous Manchester City side.
“I am serious, yeah. To be honest with you, left-back is the position I was struggling with most. He’s scored four goals, he’s always a threat, he’s been the one who has consistently played and he’s still the left-back I would pick, at this moment in time, in the league. If I was picking a team right now and I was thinking about building a back four, he’d be the player I’d put in at left-back.
“He’s a goal threat, he does his job reasonably well at left-back,” the 49-year-old said before adding, “City are giving goals away left, right and centre, it’s not usual for them. But who else is there in the league?”
“We’re picking on the first half of the season, and he’s given goals away, so why have you picked him?” Carragher then replied. Bluntly, Neville backed picking Gvardiol for his left-back berth by concluding: “Because I think he’s the best left-back in the league.”
