Gary Neville has ripped into Chelsea over the bizarre incident that saw their players conduct a pre-match huddle around referee Paul Tierney before their 1-0 defeat by Newcastle on Saturday.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Chelsea have been congregating on or near the centre circle in recent weeks for a huddle, but surrounding a referee is an unprecedented step.
Tierney looked utterly bewildered as the players leant in around him, with several stars struggling to keep their focus given the surreal scenes.
The awkward episode lasted for around half a minute, during which viewers were left scratching their heads.
It has proven to be a major talking point over recent days and Neville has now weighed in on the situation, suggesting the routine from the Blues is ‘just for show’.
‘I thought it was extremely odd, really weird,’ he said on the Gary Neville Podcast. ‘I’ve never been a fan of huddles, because if you’ve prepared for seven months of a season, four days before a game… weeks before for a football match, and then you have to do a huddle 10 seconds before kick off to talk and motivate each other, you’ve done something wrong in the build-up as far as I’m concerned.
Gary Neville has ripped into Chelsea over their ‘bizarre’ pre-match huddle on Saturday
Neville said the routine is ‘just-for-show’ and ‘isn’t conning anybody’ in a brutal assessment
‘No words can help you in my opinion and I never did a huddle here (at Old Trafford) in 20 years – and we were actually against it – because no words should be able to help you five, 10, 15, 30 seconds before a football match.
‘You’ve done all your preparation and you’ve eaten, slept and stretched well. You’ve read your set pieces, you’ve analysed opponents and you know how to nullify them, you know how to create opportunities, you’ve visualised the game in your mind.
‘Then you’re in the changing room for 10 minutes pre-match, you’ve said everything so what more can be said in a huddle out on the pitch.’
Neville then added: ‘It’s just for show, absolutely it’s just for show. It’s almost cultish, for their fans to say look at us we’re together. Fans won’t be conned by that, they’ll judge you on your performances.’
Neville was then asked about Chelsea’s decision to hold the huddle in the centre circle, which only seemed to increase his frustration.
‘Well it wouldn’t intimidate a good team,’ he added. ‘It didn’t intimidate Newcastle who are a good side.
‘It’s weird to do it in the centre of the pitch. It’s almost like “what’s the most gimmicky thing that will make everyone believe we have an amazing spirit”.
‘It’s not conning anybody. I’m not being abrupt or blunt with my words here – the whole thing is a nonsense – stop doing it and let players go in their position. I just don’t get it at all.’
Neville also weighed in on the controversy of Tierney’s presence in the centre of the huddle in one of the most surreal sights of the season.
Neville suggested Chelsea’s subsequent 1-0 defeat made the whole situation worse
Neville added: ‘Two things; 1) he should have said let me get out of here, Paul Tierney should have not stayed in the middle of that huddle.
‘And, 2) the players of Chelsea should have let him out or just done the huddle somewhere slightly different. It was just absolutely bizarre, and it really frustrated me.
‘To go and lose 1-0 off the back of it too, I can’t think of anything more ridiculous and they should stop it straight away. Nip it in the bud.
‘I don’t get it at all and I’d be interested to know if the Chelsea players buy into it.’
