October 27 – Former England international defender Phil Neville, who now works in the United States, says social media pressure on football bosses has got “out of control” with nothing done about it.
“Social media is an absolute cesspit for people that are just the lowest of the lowest,” Neville declared.
“We live in an era where it’s seen as quite normal to ask people to be sacked, which I find absolutely incredible. If you were any other workplace and you walked into a shop and you said, ‘I want you to be sacked’, I think you would be reported to the police.
“I think it’s out of control. People don’t probably realize that the things they are writing hurt families, hurt human beings, people that have problems in their lives, and nothing gets done about it.”
The Inter Miami coach made his comments after his former Manchester United team-mate and current United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faced a barrage of criticism in the wake of Sunday’s humiliating 5-0 home defeat by arch-rivals Liverpool.
“It was probably a real sickening blow for everybody that’s ever played, supported, or been involved with Manchester United. But it’s not as if United have never lost 5-0,” Neville told the Miami Herald..
“The only difference was there was not a billion people on Twitter thinking they knew best about this, that and the other.”
Another of Neville’s former United team-mates, Steve Bruce, revealed that the personal abuse he faced on social media during his time as Newcastle manager took a toll on his whole family. Bruce left last week following the £305 million takeover of the club by a Saudi-led constorium, saying it could be his last job in management.
“The Steve Bruce case went beyond criticism,” said Neville. “That was a form of bullying, disgusting behaviour, trolling, some of the most disgusting things I have ever read or seen in my whole life.”
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