Two senior England players have branded Phil Neville “old school” – before making it plain they fully endorse their manager’s almost old-fashioned insistence on tidiness, punctuality, adherence to dress codes and, above all, humility.
Lucy Bronze and Jordan Nobbs suspect the former Manchester United full-back has borrowed a few ideas from Sir Alex Ferguson’s former Old Trafford playbook but they are not complaining.
“We all know Phil worked with Sir Alex at United and he does like the old-school kind of things,” said Bronze as she prepared for Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Wales in Newport. “Phil’s got a set of standards. He says we must be respectful, have humility and be disciplined at all times. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the best player, a young player or an old player, you should respect everyone around you. When we’re in hotels we should remember we’re guests.”
Neville, well aware the squad have, deservedly, been showered with plaudits and drip-fed praise ever since England won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Cup in Canada, is anxious to ensure a set of players who have only relatively recently turned professional remain grounded. “I want the players to earn everything they get,” has become his mantra. This largely explains why he has told the FA he does not always want, or expect, England women to fly business-class and why he has chastised players who fail to pick up discarded water bottles from training pitches.
Nobbs does not object. “Phil is a little bit old school,” said the Arsenal midfielder. “He’s very concerned about the way we dress; he wants us to look the same, all looking tidy all the time, no matter what. Maybe it’s part of his Manchester United background. It’s not a big thing but it’s good to look like a proper team and look professional.”
Although England have never appeared remotely scruffy or misbehaved while on the road, Neville’s high standards appear designed to prevent any players getting carried away as they become more well-known and wealthier.
It helps that a nucleus of his squad – including Bronze, Nobbs, the captain Steph Houghton and Jill Scott – retain the values and drive instilled in them as part-timers in a tough Sunderland side at the outset of their careers. But Neville has questioned whether an element of complacency played a part in April’s 0-0 draw against Wales at Southampton.
That unexpected result has left Jayne Ludlow’s side a point ahead of England, who have a game in hand, at the top of their qualifying group. If England win in Newport then they will have qualified automatically; draw and they will fly east – on a business-class private charter plane – for next Tuesday’s final qualifier in Kazakhstan, needing a point to ensure a place in France.
If England lose in Wales then the hosts will have the automatic slot in the finals and the Lionesses will travel to Pavlodar knowing only four of the seven group runners-up are guaranteed a play-off. That is not something Neville contemplated when he took charge last January.
“The first day we ever met Phil he said he was proud to stand in front of us and it was a privilege for him to manage us,” Nobbs said. “For someone like Phil Neville, who has achieved so much in football, to say something like that was incredible. It shows incredible respect.”
Under Neville’s predecessor, Mark Sampson, England’s players were encouraged to show their individuality and think for themselves off the pitch. Sampson’s reasoning was that an ability to assume off-field responsibility would aid decisions on it, and he offered his squad considerable freedom during downtime at tournaments. Such licence was never abused and seems likely to remain a feature of Neville’s slightly more conformist tenure – just so long as the Lionesses are dressed neatly and, like their manager, keep everything tidy.
“What Phil says to us is very simple but direct and to the point,” Bronze said. “He tells you what you’re good at and what you’re not good at. It’s really good.”
She feels Neville’s lack of preconceptions is challenging the consensus and proving an advantage. “It is new but it’s quite refreshing to have someone so different,” Bronze said. “He’s not worked in women’s football before so he has such a different opinion on so many things.
“He’s not got a ready-made opinion on everyone. He’s got such raw opinions – it’s really refreshing.”
