Manchester: Former Manchester United skipper Gary Neville has revealed that Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz played an immense role in the club's successes under Sir Alex Ferguson in the Champions League. According to Neville, during the 2007/2008 season, when the Red Devils defeated Barcelona 1-0 on aggregate in the semi-final to advance and eventually clinch the title, Queiroz was instrumental tactically.
According to Ghana Web, Neville explained that the Portuguese coach introduced a tactical approach similar to the formation he deployed in Ghana's game against England. "Against Barcelona, he put a mat, like a yoga mat, in the middle of the pitch in a small area, and he told Scholes or Carrick, 'You've always got to be stood on that mat when we're attacking or defending.' He literally did exactly that today with Partey, slightly differently. I thought, 'He's going to get a nil-nil here, or maybe a one-nil.'"
Neville recalled the impact of Queiroz's methods during his time with Manchester United. "I'd had Steve McClaren, Jim Ryan, Walter Smith, they were all amazing personalities. But Carlos came in and it was a massive culture shock. He was fierce, sometimes moody, and every day it was about shape and patterns. He was with us for a year and a half, left, then came back. But in 2008, against Barcelona, we had four days of build-up to that game," Neville noted.
The pundit highlighted that Queiroz introduced the 4-5-1 formation, which helped United keep a clean sheet and neutralize Barcelona's attack of Messi, Henry, Eto'o, and others. He noted that just as Queiroz positioned Partey against England, he had assigned similar roles to Scholes, Carrick, and other midfielders at the time.
"Man United with Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez, Giggs, Scholes, we were blasting everyone away. But Carlos said, 'This is a different game.' He sat us five yards outside our own box in a 4-5-1, with Ronaldo up front. Ji-Sung Park and Rooney played wide, and we kept a clean sheet against Barcelona for 180 minutes," Neville added.
Neville emphasized the significance of Queiroz's tactical acumen during the 2008 Champions League campaign. "Messi, Eto'o, Henry, Iniesta, and Xavi were all there. The year after, we tried to take them on punch for punch and got hammered. But in 2008, it was his dream scenario, four at the back, one sitting, and that space controlled. He literally put a mat in the middle of the pitch and told Scholes or Carrick to stay on it. And today, he did the same with Partey, slightly differently," Neville concluded.