Gary Neville Takes Another Jab at Romero: If Not for Messi...

The war of words between Gary Neville and Cristian Romero continues. The former England international recently stated that he considers Romero and his Argentina center-back partner, Lisandro Martinez, to be the “best bad center-back pairing.” The Tottenham defender retorted, “I hope when I retire, I’m not as stupid as him.”

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Neville, however, pressed on, reminding everyone that the Argentine team conceded six goals in four knockout matches. He then unleashed a phrase that has already set social media ablaze: “Those two should be hugging Lionel Messi every minute of every day. Because, frankly, he’s the one who has to bail them out after they’ve conceded two goals against Egypt, two against Cape Verde, one against Switzerland, and one against England.”

Despite his criticism, the Englishman was quick to clarify that he never questioned their talent. “I also said they are incredible. They are a force of nature. They win every contested ball and possess exceptional character,” he explained. Immediately after, however, he went back on the offensive: “They make mistakes. Many mistakes. They go from the sublime to the ridiculous.”

Even “Cuti” Romero’s strong World Cup performance hasn't changed Neville’s opinion. He referenced the Argentine’s last Premier League season to support his argument. “He played in a team that was close to relegation and conceded 65 goals. I think I know what I’m talking about when I watch a player,” he insisted. “I believe Romero is still relatively young. He’s not yet an experienced defender. Without Messi, we would be talking a lot more about them. What we saw last night was absolute genius,” Neville concluded.