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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
George Smith

Gary Neville explains difference between Man United match-going fans and social media critics

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville believes there is a noticeable difference in the attitude towards Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from match-going supporters and those on social media.

United manager Solskjaer currently finds himself under increasing pressure at Old Trafford following Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, which inflicted a fourth Premier League defeat in their last six matches on the Reds.

Although calls for Solskjaer, whose position is understood to be increasingly at risk, to be sacked are growing amid the United supporter base, the reception at Old Trafford directly towards the manager remains supportive.

Neville believes United's match-going fans have a sense of respect and "empathy and compassion" for the Norwegian, even though a number of them did decide to vacate their seats early against City on Saturday.

"The social media noise is different to the noise in the stadium," Neville told Sky Sports. "They were shouting against Nuno [Espirito Santo] in the Spurs stadium last week; that won't happen here with Ole at Old Trafford.

"We didn't hear that with Jose [Mourinho], with [Louis] Van Gaal, with [David] Moyes, or even with Ron Atkinson 35 years ago. The fans here don't do that, they are respectful of the situation, but this is a train off the track at the moment.

"Last season, people said second in the league is progression, it's now not progression. That has to change very quickly.

"Against big teams, they look desperately short, and they shouldn't. That's where the manager comes under enormous pressure, and questions are asked, and on social media the pressure will be hot, but the contingent on social media are very different to the fans in the stadium itself.

"The contingent on social media don't have the sympathy, the empathy, the compassion that the fans in the stadium have. But the fans walked out towards the end of Saturday's game, because they knew it wasn't right."

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