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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Speaking on talkSPORT, former Manchester United star Andy Cole has told Gary Neville to “get real” following the latter’s verdict on the Red Devils’ penalty fiasco at Wolves.
What did he say?
Neville delivered a brutal assessment of the process behind Paul Pogba’s missed penalty at Molineux, and insisted it showed a lack of leadership.
Now, Cole has argued the fact Rashford didn’t appear to “kick up a stink about it” showed that the reaction to the incident has been blown widely out of proportion.
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He said: “I didn’t see Marcus kick up a stink about it so Marcus was comfortable about giving him the penalty. We are talking about Paul missing a penalty when the goalkeeper makes a very, very good save.
“I get on well with Gary Neville, but when people start talking about treachery and all that… come on, this is a sport. Let’s get real. We love football but when we start talking on those levels, he left me scratching my head a little bit.
“He didn’t do it on purpose. The goalkeeper made a very good save. Yes, Marcus scored a penalty against Chelsea the week before but if Marcus was comfortable and Paul was comfortable we have to get on with it and move on.”
Over the top
Would the reaction to it have been as significant had United won? Or if it didn’t involve Pogba? The France World Cup winner has endured a rocky ride in recent months, getting into a verbal altercation with fans at Old Trafford and then publicly admitting he would embrace a new challenge.
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So when the 26-year-old fluffed his lines in the second-half, it became so easy for people to start jumping on the bandwagon to criticise him. Rashford certainly didn’t appear to kick up a fuss at the time, or even after it, and ultimately that is the key concern – how Pogba’s teammates reacted to it. And judging by what has happened since, the Frenchman retains the backing of those that are most important.
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