As Manchester United prepared to kick-off against Aston Villa with Sergio Romero between the sticks following the news that David De Gea reportedly told Louis Van Gaal he doesn't want to play while there is still doubt surrounding his future, Gary Neville was hitting out at the club up in the Sky Sports studio.
Neville claims that by not tying De Gea down to a long term contract a few years ago, they have badly managed the situation, and even suggests that the arrival of Valdes last season may have unsettled him.
I think it is a distraction. As much as United fans, Louis van Gaal and the club might be disappointed with De Gea's saying he doesn't want to play, I don't know if that's true.
This has been badly managed by Manchester United, make no mistake about that. To allow a player of his quality not to extend a couple of years ago. He had those couple of dodgy seasons at the start when he was a young, inexperienced goalkeeper adapting to a new country, but under David Moyes he showed real promise and should have been snapped up.
The question has to be asked why wasn't he extended in that period? To allow his contract to get to this situation is poor management. And now United are paying for it. I think Valdes arriving last season might have unsettled him further. Now he's biting back a bit. It's a messy situation. No one will win out of it and it needs resolving before it rumbles on further.
Neville has once again proven that he won't let his love of Manchester United get in the way when he wants to get something off his chest, and this honesty is the main reason why he has been universally accepted as a pundit, despite being widely dislikes outside of Old Trafford as a player.
And you have to feel that he has a point here again. Surely De Gea's contract should have been a priority long ago, as now if he doesn't leave for Madrid this summer, he may leave for nothing next year.
