Gary Neville has golden rule he didn’t break for under-fire Man Utd boss

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has a personal rule where he never advocates for a manager's dismissal.

And that was a stance that was particularly tested during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's turbulent tenure at Manchester United. The former United captain shared how challenging it was to witness his friend and old team-mate struggle at Old Trafford as substandard performances and disappointing results let to mounting criticism of the manager.

Solskjaer took over as interim boss in December 2019 before being given the role permanently. However, after an uninspiring stint at the helm of the Red Devils, he was dismissed in late 2021. And Neville has confessed that, despite the expectations around his role as a prominent Sky Sports pundit where he is expected to critique players and managers, he found it tricky to "go against" Solskjaer, reports the Mirror.

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He disclosed that this reluctance was part of a broader principle he had, vowing as a beleaguered former boss himself to "never" demand a manager's sacking. On Stick to Football: The Overlap Special, sponsored by Sky Bet, Neville discussed the unique challenges Solskjaer's ill-fated leadership of United posed for him and fellow United legend-turned-pundit Roy Keane.

He conceded that they were both hesitant to criticise their former team-mate harshly. Despite offering mild criticism of the former United striker, he was not willing to call for the Norwegian's departure.

Neville has also lifted the lid on the personal "rule" he set for himself regarding managerial criticism, saying: "Ole was tough, for me and Roy Keane, when he was manager of