Due to the nature of the job, football pundits are often proved wrong by players, managers and teams after making comments in the media.
In this day and age, it is extremely difficult for pundits to get away with making a mistake, as the power of social media drives viral videos across countless platforms. But some punditry takes are just too crazy not to relive.
Below, we look at four pundits who were made to eat their words.
Gary Neville on Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi bagged seven goals and three assists to fire Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, cementing his status as one of the greatest players of all time. However, Gary Neville raised question marks over Messi’s credibility at the start of the tournament.
“I said at half-time ‘people don’t fear him anymore’ – they don’t,” Neville stated during the group stage. “When he’s on the ball now, people go and take it off him; go and tackle him.”
Not only did Messi go on to lift the World Cup trophy, but he also claimed the Golden Ball award for his efforts. On top of that, he proved Neville wrong in style, demonstrating that he’s still got what it takes to play – and dominate – at the highest level.
Alan Hansen on Manchester United
“You can’t win anything with kids.” When you think about pundits getting it horribly wrong, the chances are that Alan Hansen’s comments regarding Manchester United spring to mind.
At the end of the 1994-95 campaign, Man United sold high-profile stars like Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis, while youngsters such as David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville were promoted to the first team.
Speaking on the BBC’s Match of the Day, Hansen was convinced that Alex Ferguson’s side would win nothing that season. A few months later, United secured a memorable Premier League and FA Cup double.
Graeme Souness on Casemiro
Given that Casemiro had just clinched his fifth Champions League triumph with Real Madrid, Graeme Souness’ comments regarding the Brazilian on his arrival at Old Trafford raised more than a few eyebrows.
“He was playing with great players; he’s not a great player,” Souness said. “He’s never been a great player. I see him as a steady Eddie who will help Manchester United be more solid in midfield.”
For someone who has “never been a great player”, Casemiro has done pretty well since joining Man United. In fact, the 31-year-old has been pivotal to United’s success this season, proving Souness wrong in the process.
Jamie Carragher on Lisandro Martinez
Funnily enough, another one of Manchester United’s new signings received plenty of flack at the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign, with many pundits questioning Lisandro Martinez’s height as a centre-back.
“[5ft 9in] that’s small,” Carragher told Sky Sports. “That’s small for any player on the pitch in some ways now, really. You think how big and powerful players are. I haven’t seen that much of him, but he must have a really good spring to play centre-back in any league.”
Like Casemiro, Martinez has become a key player for Man United and recently helped Erik ten Hag’s side win the EFL Cup. As a result, the robust defender has silenced many of his critics.
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