Gary Neville: Right Time, Wrong Club?

Former England international defender Gary Neville took his first steps into football management when he took control of Spanish club Valenica, but it hasn’t gone quite according to plan so far.

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Neville, who is also a first-team coach for the England National Team, took charge of Los Che on 6th December 2015, replacing former manager Nuno Espírito Santo, who resigned after the club suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sevilla.

Many fans and media personnel alike were surprised by Neville’s hiring, with the former Manchester United star having virtually no experience and having no knowledge of the language.

Many looked to Neville’s time as a pundit for Sky Sports as a potential indication of his ability to lead a team from the sidelines, given his expert analysis of how team’s should play and the areas that various players and clubs should improve to ensure victory.

But Neville’s short stint at the Mestalla hasn’t exactly played out how many people assumed it would.

Valencia are yet to win a La Liga match under Neville’s guidance, with their only wins under his tutelage coming in the Copa Del Rey.

Valenica have reached the semi-finals of Spain’s primary cup cometition, but suffered a demoralising 7-0 loss in the first left to Barcelona.

To make matters worse for Neville, his brother Phil oversaw a 1-1 draw with Barcelona just prior to his older brother taking control.

Gary Neville’s La Liga Record
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Former manager Santo could not replicate the impressive form that saw Valenica finish 4th in the 2014/2015 La Liga season, with the club hovering around 8th and 9th positions for much of the season.

However, the team’s form was much stronger than what it is now.

The team are currently in 11th position and have not won a La Liga match since their 5-1 away victory over Celta Vigo in November.

Valencia’s League Record (Pre-Neville)
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If Neville was to oversee five consecutive victories for his Valencia side, it would give him one more draw and one less defeat than his predecessor.

But with the way Neville’s team has performed recently, that is an unrealistic expectation.

Neville has a keen footballing mind, but all of his experiences within the game have come from English football, playing for Manchester United and coaching with England.

Taking on a position such as Valenica, as his first ever management role no-less, is an extremely difficult task to accomplish successfully.

Neville may be ready to take the step up to full time management, but moving to La Liga and taking over a club such as Valenica may not have been the best decision for him.

A number of clubs in England would have snapped him up in an instant and he may have had significantly more success there.

He knows the English game so well and could be a great influence on an English team.

Not knowing Spanish can also cause some issues, with communication being too slow between Neville and his players due to the need for a translator as well as some explanations perhaps not matching up in the way Neville initially envisioned them.

Valencia may not be the right club for Neville to improve his management abilities, with many fans now already frustrated with his short tenure so far.

But that certainly doesn’t mean he can’t be a successful manager, he may just need to lower his expectations early and build up to the level that he believes he is capable of achieving.

When Neville’s contract expires in the summer, he is unlikely to return to Valencia.

But there will no doubt be a multitude of offers coming from England, likely in both the Premier League and Championship.

Perhaps his home nation will provide him with more success.

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