Gary Neville Criticizes Argentina's Defense, Credits Messi for Covering Mistakes

Following Argentina's 2-1 loss to England in the World Cup semifinal, tensions escalated between Argentine defender Cristian Romero and English commentator Gary Neville. Romero had previously attacked Neville after the semifinal, responding to Neville's harsh critique of him and Lisandro Martinez as "the best and worst center-back duo in the world." Neville doubled down on his comments, stating he stands by his assessment and knows what he is talking about when evaluating players.

Neville acknowledged that Romero and Martinez are talented and formidable defenders who win most duels and have strong personalities. However, he criticized their inconsistency and frequent mistakes, arguing that Argentina's captain Lionel Messi often compensates for their defensive errors. Neville pointed out that without Messi, the defensive duo would be under much greater scrutiny, citing goals conceded against Egypt, Cape Verde, Switzerland, and England as examples of their lapses.

He also referenced Romero's last season at Tottenham, where the team struggled defensively, conceding 65 goals, to support his critique. Neville concluded by praising Messi's performance against England as "pure genius," emphasizing that Messi's presence masks the defensive weaknesses of Argentina's backline.