It was difficult to understand what we were doing wrong
It was difficult to understand what we were doing wrong."We had a talk before we played Sunderland in December and said enough's enough, we've got to stop leaking goals I think we conceded one in seven after that. A team that wins the championship has to be good defensively."All these problems were relative to Phil, of course, who had to watch the travails of his brother while having a wretched season. An ankle operation was followed by a hamstring injury and then topped off by glandular fever which first emerged on Christmas Day and caused him to lose a stone and a half."I couldn't speak and I couldn't walk at times," he said, "it was too painful. "My best friend had glandular fever a few years back and he was out for the whole season, so it was very worrying Thankfully things are getting better. I've had blood tests and I seem to have had a mild dose."Phil is in Italy with United's reserve team who are taking part in a two-week tournament, and after that he should be fit to return to the first team "It's been a horrible season," he said. "A couple of years back I was on the fringe of the first team and I had a cartilage operation which seemed a big setback at the time Normally it's one injury a season. To be out for six weeks then be back for three only to be injured again has been very frustrating."I go to games but when I do I see it as if I'm Gary.
I concentrate on him, kicking every ball, making every tackle. In the recent FA Cup match against Tottenham I was sat at home watching on television and my mother had to leave the room because she couldn't stand it because I was moaning every time the referee made a bad decision."Is age making the brothers drift apart? "Not really We still hang around together. We train together every day, even in the afternoon when we stay behind. Gary has his own mates away from Manchester United and so have I, but I'd still say we're the best of friends. I've moved into his new house so we must get on pretty well."As have the team in Phil Neville's absence, with 22 points gained from their last eight Premiership matches. "It's going to be hard to get back in, it always is with Manchester United," he said.
"But that's one of the reasons why I joined the club, because of the competition. It'll be difficult but if I work I'm sure I'll get another chance. There's so many big games coming up."With a "double" feasible and the European Cup resuming in March, there is no such thing as a small game for United. "I feel," Gary Neville said, "like I did last year at this time We are poised perfectly in every competition.