Neville reacts to Everton's 'ridiculous' window

Gary Neville joins Rebecca Lowe to share his thoughts on Everton's calamitous transfer window and preview Arsenal's blockbuster London derby against Chelsea.

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Gary Neville is joining us from, from North London ahead of that game later.

But I wanna get stuck into the first game first, Gary, if that's okay.

Everton against Manchester United.

We've talked about it on the show already today, the transfer window and the deadline day shenanigans, shambles, as some reporters have said, when it comes to Everton and how they have been left with just Ciarn Barry as the ownis s- only senior striker in the squad.

Where do you stand on what's happened to Everton?

Yeah, I mean, it's ridiculous really, and I heard something earlier on in the week which I thought was even more bizarre, was that David Moyes has actually never spoken to the owner.

I mean, how can David Moyes, as such a senior figure in an, an important figure in the club, a legend of the club, not have s- had any contact whatsoever with the owner of the football club?

So that just tells you that they're not coordinated from top to bottom.

In fact, if Everton didn't have David Moyes, you would say they would be in real trouble l- right now just because of his dependency, the way in which he brings reliability to the club.

If they had a new manager that was just starting out for any reason, then I think that they would have a lot of concern, those Everton fans.

But David Moyes, he's almost like a coach, a manager, a sporting director, and an owner in one for that football club right now, and he's the only person turning up, and good for them they've got him 'cause it's, ri- ridiculous what you see happening there year in, year out.

Yeah, a lot for him to contend with, and he'll have to contend with Manchester United today.

We've seen the team news.

We've gone through it.

In that midfield, which has been where United have spent all their money, only in midfield over the summer, today is Mainoo and Tielemans.

Do you like that as a pair with Santos on the bench today, and of course, Belieber is still injured?

Yeah, that, that, that 11 that you see out there today for Manchester United is currently, until others prove otherwise, and maybe Santos and, Belieber can come into the team in a few weeks and tell us a different story, but that is Manchester United's best team, full stop.

The front four I think are electric, and I think they'll get lots of goals.

I think Tielemans and Mainoo is Manchester United's best midfield pair.

And that back four, which should've been strengthened in this window, is Manchester United's best back four right now.

So they're as strong as they can be.

Tielemans and Mainoo in midfield, they've got grace.

They can pass the ball.

They understand the game.

I think they've got game intelligence.

But have they got the physicality to be able to demand, more from each other when the game gets really tough?

And that, that's the big question.

As Manchester United come into this period of fixtures now, they play Everton away, they play Manchester City next week, you just wonder whether they've got the legs and the energy in there.

That's the only thing that they're really lacking, but it's the important thing when it comes to Premier League football.

So that game kicks off in a little over 20 minutes.

Then later it's Arsenal against Chelsea.

Many people are saying best offense against best attack.

I wanna focus in on that Arsenal defense, Gary.

As a former defender yourself, just tell us how impressed you've been by the art of defending that has clearly come very much back into certainly Arsenal's game.

Hugely impressed.

I think at times Arsenal, obviously they're, they're called negative or they're called not entertaining and that we don't like watching them play.

They get all that said about them, but we're very quick as pundits and analysts to criticize Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool for not being strong enough defensively and shipping goals.

This Arsenal team, it's not just the defense, the goalkeeper's fantastic, but all of them work together.

I've not seen a team for a long time at the very sort of top level of Premier League football, even the Liverpool and Pep Manchester City teams never got back into shape as quickly as this Arsenal team do.

And I said the other night, it's a dream for a coach and a football fan in this stadium where the Arsenal fans are to know that every single player, every single minute of every single match, they work as hard as they possibly can in and out of possession.

I do think they can be better in attack.

I just said down there actually on Sky that, in front of Ian Wright, and he disagreed with me, that I would swap Rogers, Palmer, and Joo Pedro for Saka, probably Eze today, and Havertz.

He disagreed with me, but I think that was just his Arsenal bias coming out.

But I would swap- Wow.

Manchester- Would you?

I think Manchester United Yeah, I think Manchester United's frontline and Chelsea's frontline, and maybe even Liverpool's, is probably better than Arsenal's.

But in midfield and in defense, Arsenal are streets ahead.

Oh, yeah, so you would swap them from, from Arsenal's point of view?

You would want Chelsea's frontline from Arsenal's point of view, not the Yeah.

Yes.

Okay.

Yeah, yeah.

I w- I would swap them.

I think if I was Mikel Arteta, I would take Chelsea's frontline- Yeah Manchester United's, maybe Liverpool's- Yeah and City's ahead of their own.

And, and that's the big reason he's obviously tried to get lvarez in this summer, and it's not quite worked out for him.

And Vinicius Junior, and he's been left short up top in the end, Mikel Arteta.

Gary, thank you.

We'll see you in a few weeks over here.

I think we've got little brother coming over next weekend to join us- so we'll look forward to Mr. P. Neville until then.

Thanks, Gary.

Have a great day.

Thank you very much.

Gary Neville joining us in a few weeks live here in the studio.

That's I think that's fair.

And I mean, I'm sure Ian Wright, if he didn't- He's here doff off his Arsenal- Arsenal, yeah coat, shirt, shoes, and hat- Yeah would, would agree.

You would take that Chelsea frontline, wouldn't you?

That's where Arsenal's only weakness is?

Yes, but I, I, I had it actually slightly different.

I, I said either Morgan Rogers or Joo Pedro.

If I could take one of those and put them in the Arsenal team, I'd be happy.

Just one?

Just one.

If Morgan Rogers is on the left-hand side of the field, I'm thinking these goals and, and assists.

If Joo Pedro was the center forward, I'm thinking these goals and, and, and assists.

And, and that's the bit that, that Arsenal haven't quite filled, and I think is why people are still thinking, "Oh, you know, have they left themselves a little bit short?"

But I think the big thing with, with, with Mikel Arteta, and we were doing the game on, on Monday night, is he's got a trust in this group now.

The football wasn't great against Aston Villa, on Monday night.

God, they didn't half work hard.

And I saw some stat the other day where they ran the furthest of any team all season in that game.

So if, if he doesn't get the football, he gets the physicality, and that's what this team are about.

Just picking up on the Morgan Rogers situation, of course they tried to get him and then they pulled out when the price got too high.

And he's not a number nine, but- do you think they were wrong to let him go to Chelsea?

Yes.

I love Morgan Rogers.

He can play on the left-hand side, the an, an area now that they look a little weak.

Would've been perfect for them.

But that's the way it is.

I tell you what, Chelsea would love Arsenal's midfield and defense.

So, you know, we keep talking about Chelsea's front three, and they're great, but the last game, you know, defensively, you know, they're not focused in on that, and I think that's a very important part for Chelsea, how to go forward.

I think in the two league games they've scored seven, conceded five.

So Xabi Alonso's got work to do on that.

The front three look great, and Cole Palmer's as sharp as you ever see him.

You know, hopefully we'll see it in the game later on.

But he looks really, really happy and hungry.

The front three is great.

Everything else just needs a little bit of work, I think.

Do you think they can breach that Arsenal defense?

Yeah.

No one else has.

Yeah.

I think that front three are, are gonna stretch Arsenal like they've not been stretched for a while because of particularly Palmer.

He's so hungry, so sharp, so happy.

And, and Joo Pedro started with a couple of goals, two assists as well.

So that They can do some damage.

How important is it that Chelsea don't have Europe this season in terms of what they want to get done?

Very.

I'm sure Xabi, Alonso will talk about it.

They can be this year's Manchester United.

They can go week to week, have lots of work on the training ground, which Xabi Alonso i- is known for from the Leverkusen days.

And I think today it's one of You know, we talk about what Chelsea's attack can do, what Arsenal's attack can do to Chelsea.

Chelsea's back three, that system hasn't quite bedded in yet.

They've got three individuals who've got great profile, but they're not yet a unit.

Oh, it's gonna be good.

It's gonna be good.

11:30 Eastern, Arsenal against Chelsea

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