Gary Neville has reiterated his criticism of Nicolas Jover, calling Arsenal's set-piece coach “the most annoying man in football” and warning that his behavior could cause friction within the team.
Jover has earned widespread praise throughout the 2024-2025 campaign for Arsenal's notable success from set pieces. However, Neville has taken issue with Jover's lively presence on the touchline.
Neville has urged Jover, who was seen shouting instructions from the bench during Arsenal's FA Cup clash against Manchester United, to “take a step back” and avoid “overestimating his role” within the team.
Talking about Jover in the last episode of Stay with footballNeville said: 'I called him the most annoying man in football. Do you know something? I'm consolidating my position, I'm doubling down.
“It offends me every week. I'm going to say this very calmly, I think it's overstepping its importance.
'If a goalkeeper makes a good save, I don't see the goalkeeping coach on the edge of the touchline. I don't see the other coaches going up and getting the glory for it.
Former footballer and Sky Sports expert Gary Neville reiterated his criticism of Nicolás Jover
He called Arsenal's set-piece coach (pictured right) the “most annoying man in football” and warned his behavior could cause friction within the team.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher couldn't help but agree with Neville
“The coach is in front, he cannot communicate from 50 meters away with the players who know what they are doing. I think he is exaggerating his importance, I really do.
“I see goalkeeping coaches and brilliant coaches working on other aspects of the game, I don't see them pointing fingers at themselves and overstepping their importance.
'That's how I feel. I understand that he is important and that he is doing a great job, but I really think he needs to relax a little. I think players will start to look at it too and think, “Wait a minute, come on.”
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher couldn't help but agree with Neville. He said: 'I can't disagree with that! I thought it was a bit harsh, but I can't disagree.”
However, not everyone was on Neville's side. Arsenal legend Ian Wright said: “You're being very, very harsh Gary.”
Arsenal kept their title dream alive on Wednesday night with a nervy North London Derby victory over arch-rivals Tottenham.
Leandro Trossard's second-half goal, courtesy of some weak defending by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, provided the Gunners with a crucial victory as Mikel Arteta's side reduced Liverpool's lead at the top to four points.
Arsenal came back after Heung-min Son's deflected effort gave Spurs the lead before Dominic Solanke's own goal brought the home team level with Arteta.
Neville has urged Jover, who was seen shouting instructions from the bench during Arsenal's FA Cup clash against Manchester United, to “take a step back”.
Jover has earned widespread praise throughout the 2024-2025 campaign for Arsenal's notable success from set pieces.
Speaking after the match, Arteta said: “We are still in the title race, there is a lot to play for, but we can see how difficult it is for all the teams to win.” When you have opportunities (to close the gap) you have to take advantage of them.
'This is a result to enjoy for a moment and now we prepare for the next game. I'm very proud of the team, I thought we were sensational.
“It was a big test and we got no reward in the last two games in two different competitions. This was a test of our attitude and our courage.
'From the first minute we were really involved, very intense. We play with the true purpose of hurting them. We created an incredible atmosphere.
“We know how important the game is. It is a gift that we can make the fans very happy.
'The attitude we played with, without feeling sorry for ourselves, was phenomenal. “We played 120 minutes three days ago, but that's how you respond to that situation.”
He finished by saying: 'We had great opportunities and great situations. In the end we had to suffer more than we wanted to.'